Friends of the University of Auckland NZ/US Exchange Scholarships

From left: US Friends board member Jonathan Mason; with scholars Jade Antoine; Raja Antoine; Emily Hargrave-Thomas; and Meredith Bean.

A luncheon was held at Old Government House on 20 November to celebrate the inaugural University of Auckland US/NZ Exchange Scholarships, funded through alumni donations to the Friends of The University of Auckland in the United States.

Four of the six scholars attended the lunch with the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stuart McCutcheon; US Friends board member Jonathan Mason; Philanthropic Funds Manager Richard Sorrenson; and Director of Auckland International David Baker.

In their personal statements the scholars expressed their interest in finding diverse opportunities in New Zealand both for their personal and academic growth.

Lindsey Harbour, Irene Tedjasukmana, and Raja Antoine came to Auckland to become doctors and all found Auckland to be culturally varied, both as a city and a university, and regarded this experience as essential in the training of a successful medical practitioner.

Jade Antoine was working on a degree in the History of Science at University College London and discovered the work of one of Auckland's academics in the psychosocial components of disease and decided to investigate that work further here.

Meredith Bean became fascinated with New Zealand while studying in Hawai'i; she wrote that "UoA called to me from across the seas" and has moved from an Auckland MA to an Auckland PhD in the sociology of the internet.

Emily Hargrave-Thomas started Biomedical Engineering at Duke University, but came to Auckland to fulfil that study at Auckland's Bioengineering Institute and wrote that "there is a world of opportunity outside of America waiting to be explored".

Read more about the Scholarships.