Ma & Morley Newsletter
What’s been happening?
LEADERSHIP INTENSIVE
Stage 2 Scholars engaged in a two-day Leadership Intensive with Polykala back in April, exploring the dance between authority and leadership. Thank you to our wonderful facilitators, Tom & Ananth!
A PEACE AGENDA: IN CONVERSATION WITH STEVE KILLELEA
The Ma & Morley Ambassador event featuring Steve Killelea, entrepreneur, philanthropist and Founder of the Institute for Economics and Peace, was held on 23 May, in collaboration with I2N. The event kicked off with lunch, followed by a half-hour presentation by Steve. Siobhan Curran, Director – Entrepreneurship moderated a discussion with Steve, with lots of interesting questions from the audience!
ONE - DAY ON COUNTRY IMMERSION
Uncle Paul Gordon and Dave Newham led Stage 2 & 3 Scholars plus Ambassadors through Glenrock State Conservation Area and Swansea Heads, sharing local stories and the importance of various sites. A beautiful day connecting with each other & Country.
TWO - DAY ON COUNTRY IMMERSION
Following a day in Yengo National Park (near Wollombi) spent with cultural educator, Leanne King, 2024 Scholars camped overnight at Murrook Cultural Centre. On day 2, Scholars headed out on Worimi Country to learn more about the Worimi people’s strong connection to land and water before returning for the Broken Journey Workshop with Pete.
Continued…
CHINA IMMERSION
Another whirlwind & incredible trip to China with 27 Scholars from the 2023 cohort, as well as some 2021 & 2022 Scholars who were unable to join us last year.
We followed a similar itinerary to last year, visiting Shanghai, Hangzhou & Beijing. The weather was much cooler, which was a welcome relief! However, a delayed flight from Beijing to Shanghai meant we missed our connecting flight to Sydney on the way home! Good to build our resilience & adaptability (and catch up on some much-needed sleep).
We had engagements with Investment NSW, CIFAL Shanghai, the Australian Embassy in Beijing, Liangzhu Cultural Village, Hangzhou Normal University and Alibaba.
We were fortunate to visit some incredible tourist sites once again, including The Great Wall of China, Forbidden City, Hangzhou’s famous tea region and West Lake (among others).
2024 SCHOLAR AWARDS
Each College, Wollotuka and PALS have hosted an awards ceremony for students who have received a Scholarship this year. These events have been wonderful opportunities to meet and thank donors, celebrate the achievements of Scholars and of course spend time with the wonderful Judy Morley
Program team update
WELCOME JADE!
As you’d be aware, Katie is heading off on maternity leave in November & the Program Team is thrilled to welcome Jade Boland who will take over as Program Officer. Jade is an experienced program coordinator with a strong background in event planning, administrative support and relationship management. She has been the Mentoring Program Coordinator for Franklin Women since October 2022 and is eager to bring her passion for mentorship and commitment to social consciousness to the role. I (Katie) can’t wait to see all the amazing things you’ll all continue to do & achieve Will miss you all!
REFLECT & SHARE
Our Semester 2 Reflect & Share sessions are coming up – 17 October for Stage 1 Scholars and 18 October for Stage 2 & 3 Scholars.
For Stage 3 Scholars – you’ll provide an update on the progress of your Action Project in this session.
MA & MORLEY GALA
The 2024 Ma & Morley Gala is locked in for Friday 29 November at the Great Hall, Callaghan Campus –please note this date in your diaries now! We can’t wait to celebrate another incredible year. We’ll be sending formal invitations via email so keep your eyes peeled!
What’s next?
If you are graduating in 2024, could you please let Maryanne know – Ambassadors will be presented with a certificate at the Gala & we would love to include everyone!
Continued…
APPLICATIONS CLOSING
Applications for 2025 Ma & Morley Scholarships
close midnight, 30 September, which is very fast approaching!
A huge thank you to all Scholars who have shared a post on social media, encouraged a friend or family member to apply, joined us for Open Day, hosted an event at your past school – the list goes on. We are so grateful to have your support in spreading the word!
Hearing from current/past Scholars is the best way to promote the Program. It’s been wonderful to chat to prospective applicants at Open Days and our Ma & Morley Information Sessions – there’s been lots of interest & engagement
A PAYMENT UPDATE FOR THOSE DOING TRIMESTER COURSES & INTERNATIONAL STUDY
If you are taking any trimester subjects, please inform the Program team before Census date to ensure you are paid for these subjects. Our payments are calculated by semesters, so to avoid missing payment for a trimester subject, it is crucial you inform the Program team.
Payments update
Similarly, if you are taking cross-institutional study or any study abroad, please inform the Program team. If your international study is credited towards your degree, you will still receive payment for these subjects (subjects needtobecreditbearingforyourdegreeatthe UniversityofNewcastleandtheywillbepaid oncetheyappearonyourtranscript).It helps our planning when we are made aware of this study before the Census date.
New Ambassador Representative on the Advisory Committee
The current (and inaugural) Ambassador representative’s two-year term on the Ma & Morley Scholarship Program Advisory Committee will conclude on 27 November 2024. Jasmin L’Green has been your representative over the last two years and has done a fantastic job bringing her insights and experience to the Advisory Committee, which provides advice on the delivery and review of the Scholarship Program. Jasmin was also a valued panel member of the second Triennial Review. Applications from eligible Ma & Morley Ambassadors will be open from 18th to 25th November, with elections (if required) between 2nd and 9th December. It is proposed that the new Ambassador representative would commence in the role from 1 February 2025 for a two-year period. Please note this is a voluntary (unpaid) role. It is an incredible opportunity to be the voice of both Scholars and Ambassadors to contribute to the strategic direction and future evolution of the Program and ensure the Program remains relevant to the needs of students and recent alumni. It also represents a wonderful career development opportunity, working with senior staff at the University of Newcastle and the Jack Ma Foundation. Further information will be posted in Slack in the coming weeks.
Other opportunities LIVING SMART FESTIVAL
Held on the traditional lands of the Awabakal People, the Living Smart Festival is one of Australia’s largest community sustainability events, with a mission to encourage people to learn about and embrace everyday sustainability practices.
WHEN: Saturday 21 September, 9am-3pm
WHERE: Speers Point Park
A free day of workshops, demonstrations, market stalls and presentations by some of Australia's most prominent and innovative personalities in the field of sustainability, headlined by Steph De Sousa from MasterChef, Gina Chick from Alone
Australia and Paul West from River Cottage Australia. A multicultural zone invites workshops, music and food celebrating cultural diversity in our city across multiple stages, with underlying themes of sustainability and conservation.
More info (including Program) here
Looking forward to the Climate Action Panel Talk featuring Ma & Morley Scholar, Phoebe McIlwraith
Continued…
AUSTRALIA’S HUMAN RIGHTS FRAMEWORK
Monday 16 September, 12.30pm-1.30pm, online
The newly-formed Australasian Human Rights Scholars’ Network invites you to attend its inaugural event – a webinar on proposed reforms to Australia’s human rights system. This event will offer insights into the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Free and Equal project, findings of a major parliamentary inquiry into Australia’s human rights system, and next steps for the reform agenda. Speakers include Darren Dick (Senior Policy Executive, Australian Human Rights Commission), Arif Hussein (Senior Lawyer, Human Rights Law Centre) and Amy Maguire (human rights scholar and Director, Centre for Law and Social Justice, University of Newcastle).
REGISTER HERE
DELIVERING AUSTRALIA’S ENERGY FUTURE
Thursday 19 September, 6pm-8pm, Newcastle Conservatorium of Music
Australia’s energy sector is in transition and here in the Hunter region we have an important role to play in driving innovation and influencing technology development to deliver a cleaner, greener energy future for the country. Join Heidi Lee, CEO of Beyond Zero Emissions, and an expert panel as they dive into practical, scalable strategies that will help empower communities and businesses to achieve ambitious climate goals and ultimately assist Australia’s renewable energy transition.
REGISTER HERE
Heidi Lee
A FREE EVENT IN CELEBRATION OF ABORIGINAL CULTURE
WHEN: Saturday 14 September 1pm-9pm
WHERE: Muswellbrook
Showground
Including music, food, fireworks, kids activities, market stalls, performances, cultural arts & crafts!
Headliners include Dan Sultan & Jem Cassar Daley.
CULTURAL SPECTACULAR
You’ll also notice two Ma & Morley Scholars in the lineup – Millie
Mills & Midnight Dreaming (Renae Lamb)
More info here
REMINDER: REGISTER HERE
An opportunity for those in health degrees and/or interested in working in remote communities.
A Bachelor of Medicine (2008) alumna, Geordan is a medical doctor and Lecturer in Global Health at University College London (UCL). This is a fantastic opportunity to connect and learn from a global leader doing amazing things in her field.
WHEN: Thursday 12 September, 9.30am – 10.30am
WHERE: University Gallery, Callaghan Campus
Originally from Brisbane, Dr Geordan Shannon completed her Bachelor of Medicine at University of Newcastle in 2008.
Geordan is a medical doctor and Lecturer in Global Health at University College London (UCL). She has worked as a medic in remote indigenous Australia, post-tsunami Sri Lanka, the Peruvian Amazon, and rural Kenya.
A morning with Dr Geordan Shannon
She currently leads large-scale health policy initiatives with UN partners, national governments, and other key stakeholders. Geordan has also used her experience to co-launch a number of startups at the intersection of health, climate, and web3 including stema.org, planet health, and unexia.org.
Alongside her clinical and research work, Geordan is passionate about enabling communities to implement more effective and sustainable health interventions, utilising and transforming existing local resources.
We still have a limited number of tickets up for grabs for the Alumni Excellence Awards (the Alumni team has very generously offered some free tickets for Ma & Morley Scholars/Ambassadors).
This year, the event will be a cocktail-style event, featuring entertainment, canapes, free flowing drinks and plenty of opportunities to engage with fellow attendees and awards recipients.
From international business leaders and creative superstars to research pioneers and global health advocates, it’s sure to be a wonderful evening of connection and celebration. The team have also started announcing recipients early, which you can check out here.
Alumni Excellence Awards
WHEN: Thursday 12 September, 6.30pm
WHERE: The Great Hall, Callaghan Campus
If interested, please reach out to the Program Team.
Meet the Scholar: Arman Zolfaghari
Tell us a bit about yourself and your journey to getting to University
I was born in Iran and came to Australia 5 years ago as an immigrant with my family as we had to flee Iran due to religion conflicts. I did 3 years schooling after that in Australia, year 10 - 12 and graduated from Callaghan College Jesmond Senior Campus and right after that I started my Bachelor of Civil Engineering at the Newcastle University in 2023.
What is something about you that most people wouldn't know?
One thing that most people might no know about me is that I am focusing on building a secondary income in my free time, so that I can pursue my passions and be able help people from all walks of life on a bigger scale to be able to pursue their passion as well.
What is your favourite thing to do outside uni?
Outside of Uni what I love to do is gym, playing sport, reading book and making new friends.
What is your favourite quote?
My favourite quote is "Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time" - Thomas Edison.
Recommended read: What are you currently listening to, watching or reading?
A book that I read recently is called "Gap and the Gain", which basically talks about having a growth mindset while feeling fulfilled.
Recommended read (or listen)
In 2019, bestselling author Rick Morton was diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder. So, over the course of 12 months, he went on a journey to rediscover love. This is a book about his journey to betterness, his year of living vulnerably. It's a book about love; how we see it, what forms it takes, how we practice it in our lives, what it means to us, and how we really, really can't live without it, even if, like Rick for many years, we think we can.
A podcast that explains how everything is psychology – hosted by Jemma Sbeg. A different topic each week exploring a concept or universal experience that defines your 20s – dating, mental health, career anxiety, friendship, finances… the list goes on!
Scholar recommendation: Ivana Pedruco Aniceto
Crime Junkie is a weekly true crime podcast dedicated to discussing the cases you just can’t get out of your head. Crime Junkie focuses on underreported crimes, including solved and unsolved murders, missing persons cases, and more.
Thank you
Thank you for a wonderful few months – we hope you take time to reflect on all your achievements/challenges as we come towards the end of the year!
If you have any suggestions or would like to add anything into the next newsletter – please reach out
