'There's no better place to study': Postgraduate alumna and 2022 Westpac Future Leaders Scholarship winner Jayne Fendyk

Jayne Fendyk became the honoured recipient of the 2022 Westpac Future Leaders Scholarship. The exceptional achievement saw her receive funding support to undertake research on Asia and shape her leadership skills.  Jayne completed a Master of Asian and Pacific Studies at the School of Culture, History and Language within the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific (CAP).

She reflects on her enriching and transformative experience during her studies with us.

Why did you want to do a Master of Asian and Pacific Studies?

For me, the Master of Asian and the Pacific Studies provided a comprehensive and flexible course structure to study the history, culture, and political and international affairs of Asia and the Pacific – through a combination of standard courses and short-term research projects. As someone with a long-standing interest in Indonesian politics, society and culture, I wanted to understand that knowledge within a wider context, and build unique, regional expertise across the Asian region, with the hope to apply that in the development or NGO sector. The Australian National University heralds one of the largest concentrations of scholars focused on Asia and the Pacific, so it felt like there was no better place to study!

What was your experience at the College like? How is this helping you achieve your career goals?

My experience at CAP has been fantastic! The community is incredibly tight-knit, encompassing students, academics, and support staff. This supportive environment allowed me to easily personalise my learning program to match my interests. I explored a broad and diverse range of courses, from Chinese history to disasters and epidemics, completed a supervised translation project, and am currently working on a mini thesis.

Who has helped or inspired you?

Throughout my journey, my professors were incredibly supportive in helping me choose and shape my research topics. I was also surrounded by an exceptionally supportive group of students from all around the world, whose knowledge and perspectives enriched my learning experience at CAP.

What is a piece of advice you would give to those studying a Master of Asian and Pacific Studies?

My top tip would be to make use of the incredible knowledge of your peers and professors. I found that the more open I have been to test my ideas and receive their feedback, the more it has deepened my intellectual curiosity and helped me find new meaning in my studies. My second tip would be to spend some time in the Menzies Library – it is bursting at the seams with incredible books and resources on everything Asia-Pacific related, and a great starting point for any essay or research project.

Learn more about our Master of Asian and Pacific Studies here.