Final Report for the Roberta Sykes Scholarship Program
Donisha Duff
pieces of assessment that were significant to the
final grade for both courses. A final paper (5000
words) worth 30% was submitted for the Systems
Thinking course. I sat a 3-hour exam worth 30%
for the Cross-Border Innovation course.
•
Donisha Duff in Boston at Harvard University in
August 2011
The Summer School Program at Harvard University is
now officially over. It is hard to believe that 8 weeks
ago, I arrived in Boston, Massachusetts. So much
activity has been packed into this time and I have found
the experience invaluable – even life changing. To have
now realized a long-held personal aspiration to study at
Harvard University is extremely satisfying and inspiring.
Goal 2: To establish a network of contacts
with other students
•
Both of my courses comprised of up to 50
students, mostly international. While I did not
personally get to meet each of the other students,
collectively the class had the opportunity to learn
about other people’s backgrounds, experiences
and areas of interests. Each of the courses required
group projects to be delivered every week. There
was ample opportunity to get to know each of my
fellow group members very well.
•
Since the conclusion of both courses, a network
has been established of all students and lecturers
on Linkedin.
•
There are plans underway for the first class
reunion of the Systems Thinking course in Europe
in 6-12 months to continue the system thinking
approach and analysis within our respective
professional areas.
•
I have also personally received invitations from
other colleagues to visit Russia, China, Greece/
Cyprus, India, the United Kingdom and also return
to the United States.
At the commencement of the summer school program,
I hoped to achieve 3 goals:
1. To attain good marks in my enrolled courses.
2. To establish a network of contacts with other
students.
3. To establish contacts with Harvard University
administration and staff
Goal 1: To attain good marks in my enrolled
courses
•
While the final grades for each of my courses are
yet to be finalized, I have currently achieved 2
x Bs and 2 x B+s. The final week of the summer
school term was exam week. I completed 2
I am currently taking leave from the Masters of
Business Administration (MBA) program at the
Australian National University (ANU). Prior to
leaving to attend Harvard University Summer
School, I contacted the ANU MBA Coordinator
and the ANU Head of the Crawford Business
School and received approval for the credit to be
transferred towards completion of my MBA.
Goal 3: To establish contacts with Harvard
University administration and staff
•
A number of students within the Systems Thinking
course were staff at Harvard University. With
the establishment of network on Linkedin, I have
had direct contact and offers of assistance from
a number of staff working in Harvard University
Marketing, the Business School and the Kennedy
School.
•
I have established and will continue to maintain
contact with my professors and some key guest
lecturers, such as Professor Lloyd Williams (Yale
University; Institute for Transformative Thought
and Learning).
•
At the conclusion of the course, Professor Mark
Esposito (Systems Thinking) extended an offer to
interested students to submit academic articles
on systems thinking for a book that he is coediting for publication in late 2012, and two
other journals for publication in 2012. Professor
Esposito also extended an invitation to work with
him on future projects and conference papers.
•
In addition, I took the opportunity to visit the
Harvard University Native American Program.
While there were not many staff and students on
campus during the summer school program, I met
with administrative staff and made a donation of
support to their program.
On a personal note, I had the opportunity to visit
a number of other places in the United States and
learn about the US history. In the past 8 weeks, I
have been able to visit Disneyland (Anaheim), Boston
and surrounding areas, Salem, Cape Cod, Martha’s
Vineyard and New York City.
Mr Tim Goodwin, the current Roberta Sykes Harvard
Club Scholar, and I have been emailing each other
since late July. We were both scheduled to be in New
York City in mid-August and attempted to meet over
coffee, however this did not come to pass.
I have been in contact with the Torres News and the
Koori Mail about publishing an article about my time
spent at Harvard University. An article for the Torres
News will be printed in the next edition (expected end
August).
I am still in discussion with the editor of the Koori Mail
about an article, possibly when I return to Australia in
September.
Overall, I have found the opportunity to attend
Harvard University and study the Summer School
program to be so invaluable. I feel that I have
achieved each of the goals that I set.
I have been intellectually challenged by the discourse
and the different perspectives of other students. I
have met a number of very smart, accomplished
international colleagues. I have established network
contacts with professionals who are genuinely
committed to global change and willing to provide
assistance. I have made a number of personal
friendships that will be long-lasting.
In the next few weeks, I will be on holiday in the
United Kingdom and Ireland. Upon return to
Australia, I will be translating and applying the
knowledge and approaches learnt at Harvard
University back to my job as Adviser (Indigenous
Health).
In the longer-term, I am interested in pursuing a
number of different options including working
internationally, assisting projects within Australia
(corporate, not-for-profit & philanthropic), and further
research and academic opportunities.
I am extremely grateful to the Board and Staff of the
Roberta Sykes Indigenous Education Foundation
and the Aurora Project for the opportunity to attend
Harvard University Summer School and the support
they have provided to me.
I look forward to working together in the future to
provide these opportunities to other Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander students.
Thanks!
Donisha Duff
19 August 2011
(Afterword: Donisha received a ‘B+’ for the Cross
Border Innovation course and an ‘A-’ for the Systems
Thinking course.)
Final Report for the Roberta Sykes Scholarship Program
Stephen Gilchrist
environmental vigilance, following your dreams,
honoring your strengths and how it is incumbent on
the graduating students to do their best to change the
world for better. Seated in the stands with the rest of
the graduating class of 2011, that goal seemed both
possible and imminent. One of the more memorable
quotes he made that resonated with me was “the only
way to win the future, is to share it”.
The Empire State Building in New York in the ‘purple’
colours of NYU for graduation.
I have officially graduated from the Master’s of Arts
Politics at New York University and am absolutely
thrilled! To celebrate the graduating students, roads
were blocked off for university street parties and
the Empire State Building was lit up in the colours
of NYU. When I was wearing or carrying the
full academic attire, perfect strangers came up to
congratulate me on my achievement! New York really
loves to celebrate those who commit to the city and
it was quite overwhelming. My Mum travelled from
Kalgoorlie to watch me graduate which was really
special. After the ceremonies were over she made
the most of her first trip to New York. The three-day
festivities for students culminated in a university-wide
graduation ceremony at Yankee Stadium on 18 May
where my degree was formally conferred. Former
President Bill Clinton was the special guest and he
accepted an honorary doctorate in law and gave the
official commencement address.
A renowned and powerful public speaker, I was very
much looking forward to hearing President Clinton’s
remarks and he didn’t disappoint. After congratulating
the students and their families, he spoke at length
about global interdependence, income inequality,
Throughout this program I have written about a
curatorial process of Indigenising spaces and making
them work culturally, moving from a methodology
of cultural preservation to cultural activation. I have
been slowly transitioning back from student mode
into curatorial mode but I hope that I maintain the
same activist mindset that has been nurtured by my
readings, professors and fellow students. I go back
into the world with a renewed sense of strength, hope,
confidence and a reaffirmed responsibility of and
commitment to possessing the curatorial voice and the
enviable platform it represents.
In the absence of pressing deadlines, I have spent the
past two weeks processing all I have learnt, thought
and experienced in this program and I really believe it
is one of the best things I have ever done. Of course
I didn’t do it alone and there are many people I need
to thank, particularly the Trustees of the Roberta
Sykes Foundation who believed in my potential and
trusted that I would share whatever knowledge I
gained for the advancement of Indigenous people, art
and culture. My personal sense of achievement in
completing the often challenging course is therefore
anchored to a profound sense of gratitude to those
who supported me along the way. I am so thankful for
this opportunity and will never forget it.
Regards,
Stephen Gilchrist
31 May 2011
Interim Report for the Roberta Sykes Scholarship Program
Timothy Goodwin
My fellow LLM students are a wonderful and
interesting group of people. I have made close
friendships already with a variety of people from
around the world, including Australia, New Zealand,
Sweden, Belgium, France, UK, Ireland, Canada and
South America.
Academics
I was assigned an LLM Course Advisor, Adilson
Moreira, who is a 5th year SJD candidate from Brazil.
Adilson was immensely helpful in finalising my class
list.
Timothy Goodwin at Harvard Law School, 2011
Orientation
The first month of study at Harvard Law School (HLS)
has been rewarding and engaging. I am thoroughly
enjoying the experience thus far, and thank the Roberta
Sykes Indigenous Education Foundation and The
Harvard Club of Australia for their support, without
which I would not be here. I expect reports to be
much shorter in the future, but thought I would use this
opportunity to outline a number of introductory points.
The first three weeks of study at HLS was LLM
Orientation. The Orientation program was made up of
introductory lessons in aspects of US law, information
sessions on HLS services and assistance programs
(e.g. loan information, student support services, health
services) and social events.
The Graduate Program at HLS (which is responsible for
LLM, SJD and other international students or researchers)
ran an entertaining and informative program. The
services available at HLS are incomparable to Australian
universities. The entire School is committed to ensuring
the welfare of their students is maximised and their
opportunities after graduation are limitless. The staff at
the Graduate Program is committed to assisting LLM
students in whatever way they can.
In the Fall Semester, I am studying the following
subjects:
• Constitutional Law: Separation of Powers,
Federalism and the 14th Amendment with Dean
Martha Minow;
• Constitutional Law: 1st Amendment with Richard
Fallon; and
• The Warren Court: Seminar with Michael Klarman.
I intend to study American Indian Law in Winter, and
am currently enrolled in the following subjects in
Spring:
• Political Economy After The Crisis with Roberto
Mangabeira Unger and Dani Rodrik;
• Group Rights as Human Rights with Neus Torbisco
Casals; and
• Law and Social Movements with Lani Guinier.
I have chosen these subjects in order to cover
Constitutional Law, social movements, human rights
and legal theory with a view to having a well-rounded
subject range, and to ensure the subjects match my
Long Paper topic selection.
My Fall classes are wonderful. HLS Professors are
engaging, challenging and analytical in a way that
I only rarely experienced during my undergraduate
years. (I should say that there were a number of
ANU Professors who were as engaging during my
undergraduate years, I do not want to be taken as
criticising them!) The professors expect that you
have done the reading, and so spend little time
reciting facts and holdings, but focus on analysis and
critical engagement. It is an academically liberating
experience. It often hurts to be thinking so much.
Long Paper
I have decided to complete a Long Paper for a number
of credits as part of my LLM. I need to submit a
proposal by Friday 7 October, signed by a Professor
who has agreed to supervise my paper. I am in the
process of completing my proposal and confirming a
supervisor, so will update the Foundation and Club on
those developments in the October report.
However, I can report that I intend to examine whether
the Australian Constitution should be amended to
include a Right to Consult and Consent for Indigenous
peoples regarding legislative and administrative
decision-making. The particular right is contained
in Article 19 of the Declaration of the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples. Article 19 states:
“States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with
the indigenous peoples concerned through their own
representative institutions in order to obtain their
free, prior and informed consent before adopting and
implementing legislative or administrative measures
that may affect them.”
The Long Paper will involve analysis of the content
of Article 19, the impact on Australian Constitutional
Law of an amendment incorporating Article 19, and
comparative constitutional analysis (in particular,
Indigenous Rights in Latin American Constitutions).
I have been assigned to an LLM Long Paper advisee
group on Constitutional Law. I have had a meeting
with a Reference Librarian, Janet Katz, assigned to
my group, who was amazingly helpful in assisting
me in researching the subject matter and conducting
a literature review. I have a feeling Janet will be
instrumental over the coming eight months!
Extra-curricular activities
I have joined a number of organisations, including
the General Board of the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil
Liberties Law Review. It is a wonderful Law Review,
which allows general board members to be involved
in article selection as well as tech editing. The entire
General Board discusses and approves all journal
articles selected or solicited for publication. A short
piece I wrote for the Law Review blog is online at:
http://harvardcrcl.org/2011/09/23/in-their-own-wordscivil-rights-and-aboriginal-australians/
A Maori LLM student, Natalie Coates, and I have been
in touch with the Harvard University Native American
Program. We are to attend a potluck evening with
HUNAP next week to meet some of the Native
students and staff on campus.
I have had the pleasure of catching up with Professor
Mick Dodson while on campus, who is here as CoChair of Australian Studies.
Dr Alice Hill from the Harvard Club of Australia
has very kindly been in touch and is organizing two
functions, one with Menzies and Sykes Scholars and
the other with the general Australian community on
campus, both in October. I am looking forward to
both events.
I look forward to reporting on my studies and activities
in October.
Tim Goodwin
2011 Roberta Sykes Harvard Club Scholar