Famin Ahmed, 2024 Queensland Government John Monash Scholar.
The General Sir John Monash Foundation is proud to announce the presentation of the 2024 Scholarships at a prestigious ceremony at Government House in Canberra. This event marks the culmination of an exhaustive selection process that concluded at the end of last year. Sixteen outstanding Australians are being supported to study overseas in various fields, including medicine, health, the arts, engineering, business, law, mathematics, science, and Indigenous affairs.
The Foundation’s Patron-In-Chief, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd), and Her Excellency the Honourable Linda Hurley hosted the event. An array of distinguished guests, including the new chair of the John Monash Foundation Leadership Academy, Simon Atkinson, BHP executive Caroline Cox, and Commonwealth Bank executive Michael Peel, attended the ceremony.
The John Monash Scholarships are recognised as among Australia’s foremost postgraduate awards. Fifteen to twenty Scholarships are granted annually to exceptional Australians, who are celebrated for their leadership potential and academic prowess.
This year’s Scholars exemplify Australia’s intellectual and civic potential. They are poised to make significant contributions across a spectrum of disciplines.
The ceremony heralds the beginning of an enriching academic adventure for Scholars. They will attend some of the globe’s most revered institutions, such as the University of Oxford, Harvard University, University of Cambridge, and Johns Hopkins.
His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd), Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, said: “The spotlight today, as it should be, is on our Scholars. As we know, they are a very impressive group. They have attributes that we all admire, but more than that, they inspire us, and we hope that, in the future, they will inspire others.
“These young people represent our future and assure us, by having achieved what they have at such a young age, that our country is in good hands – which is very important. The impact of good, compassionate leadership is important.
“It is critically important to lead people well. Our scholarship recipients, already leaders in many fields, are now entering another critical phase of their leadership journey.”
While in Canberra, the Scholars participated in two days of leadership workshops and networking events with John Monash alumni and Foundation supporters, an opportunity to forge lifelong personal and professional connections. Previous Scholars have leveraged similar networks to advance in various fields, support Australia’s communities, and guide future leaders and academics.
The General Sir John Monash Foundation Chair, Jillian Segal AO, said: “This group is an example of those with a cross-disciplinary nature that we look forward to in our future leaders. We have a lot of new energy in the Foundation to take us forward. It is remarkable that major Australian organisations have been supporting us for 10 years.”
The Foundation’s CEO, Paul Ramadge, said: “The heart of the Foundation’s mission is nation-building. We are striving to build a community of Scholars, 264 so far, that is a force for good— a talent bank of leaders who will help lead the country in the years ahead.”
While in Canberra, the Scholars participated in two days of leadership workshops and networking events with Scholarship alumni and supporters of the Foundation, an opportunity to forge lifelong personal and professional connections. Previous Scholars have leveraged similar networks to advance in various fields, support Australia’s communities, and guide future leaders and academics.
Nicholas Felstead, 2024 Victorian Government John Monash Scholar, said: “The essential qualities of John Monash Scholars — leadership, academic excellence and citizenship — are essential for all future leaders of Australia. It has been an honour to attend the Canberra Presentation Ceremony this week with the cohort of 2024 Scholars, and I am excited to continue collaborating with and supporting this group of exceptional individuals along our career trajectories.”
Veronica Sebesfi, 2024 Rio Tinto John Monash Scholar, said: “This week’s Scholar Induction program, run by May Samali, has been fantastic. I am grateful to have such an inspiring, innovative and energetic community of leaders from which to learn. General Sir John Monash was an original thinker and highly collaborative, encouraging commanders underneath him to innovate and debate courses of action. I have found these values are embodied in the community of John Monash Scholars, and I look forward to working with many more Scholars in future.”
The 2024 John Monash Scholars
- Famin Ahmed (Queensland), Queensland Government John Monash Scholar Master of Public Policy, University of Oxford
- Alexander Batsis (Victoria), Roth/Segal John Monash Scholar Master of Law, Harvard University
- Emma Beal (Queensland), Dame Quentin Bryce John Monash Scholar Master of Data Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Noah Bedford (NSW), Bob Hawke John Monash Scholar Master of Public Policy, Harvard University
- Trent Crawford (Victoria), Zelman Cowen John Monash Scholar Master of Fine Arts, Hamburg Fine Arts School
- Nicholas Felstead (Victoria), Victorian Government John Monash Scholar Master of Law (Competition Law), Harvard University
- Emerald Gaydon (Victoria), BHP John Monash Scholar Doctor of Philosophy (Material Science), University of Oxford
- Praneel Kumar (NSW), Belfer Trust John Monash Scholar Master of Public Health, John Hopkins University
- Domantis Kuzinkovas (NSW), Chairman’s Circle John Monash Scholar PhD (Bioengineering), Imperial College London
- Dinesh Palipana (Queensland), Susan and Isaac Wakil John Monash Scholar Master of Health and Advocacy, University of Edinburgh
- Alyssa Pradhan (South Australia), Australian Universities John Monash Scholar PhD (Biomedical Informatics), Harvard University
- Jordina Rust (Northern Territory), Tim Fischer John Monash Scholar Master of Law, Columbia University
- Georgina Ryan (Victoria), Commonwealth Bank John Monash Scholar Doctor of Philosophy (Mathematics), University of Oxford
- Veronica Sebesfi (NSW), Rio Tinto John Monash Scholar Master of Law (IP Law), University of Cambridge
- Tristan Taylor (Western Australia), ANZAC John Monash Scholar Master of Law (Public Interest Law), University of Oxford
- Elizabeth Younan (NSW), Australian Universities John Monash Scholar PhD (Music Composition), The Julliard School
