2005 Fulbright Graduate Award winners announced

29 June 2005

2005 Fulbright Graduate Award winners announced

Nine students will shortly be departing New Zealand for post-graduate study at top American universities.

The awards, valued at US$15,000 plus return travel to the US, are for promising graduate students who show academic excellence, leadership potential and the ability to be cultural ambassadors for New Zealand.

The winners of the distinguished Fulbright Graduate Student Awards for 2005 will study in fields as diverse as architecture, journalism, political science, history, law and psychoneuroimmunology in some of America’s most prestigious universities including Harvard, Columbia, New York, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Michigan. (Full list of winners attached.)

The Award winners are graduates of the Auckland University of Technology, the University of Auckland, Victoria University, Otago University and Massey University.

Matt Nippert, who is currently a feature writer at the Listener, will pursue a Masters degree at the Columbia School of Journalism.

He is aiming to study investigative techniques, media criticism and government affairs and anticipates his studies will equip him to better understand and report on the development and implementation of public policy decisions.

“Journalism here is more a trade than a profession, with academic study limited to the diploma level,” says Matt.

After graduating he will return to his job as feature writer at the Listener. “Hopefully I’ll be a little wiser.”

Nina Khouri plans to undertake a Masters in Law at New York University, specialising in the theory and practice of law as a mechanism for the peaceful resolution of disputes.

“My research in the US will involve jurisprudential enquiry into whether law is able to provide the rational and principled resolution of disputes we hope of it, together with an examination of alternative dispute resolution processes and alternative conceptions of law and legal systems.”

Nina would eventually like to work as a dispute resolution practitioner and as a legal academic, contributing to the development of legal dispute resolution policy in New Zealand.

Since the programme began in 1948, over 1,200 New Zealanders have been awarded scholarships.

For 2006, as a result of an increase in funding, up to 20 awards, valued at US$25,000 plus return travel, will be awarded. The closing date for applications is 1 October 2005. Further information can be found at www.fulbright.org.nz

ENDS

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