'There's no better place to study': Postgraduate student and 2022 Westpac Future Leaders Scholarship winner Jayne Fendyk
Last year, Jayne Fendyk became the honoured recipient of the 2022 Westpac Future Leaders Scholarship. The exceptional achievement saw her receive funding support to undertake research on Asia and shape her leadership skills. Currently, Jayne is studying a Master of Asian and Pacific Studies with the School of Culture, History and Language at the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific (CAP).
She shares her rewarding experience during her time studying with us.
Why did you want to do a Master of Asian and Pacific Studies?
For me, the Master of Asian and the Pacific Studies provided a comprehensive and flexible course structure to study the history, culture, and political and international affairs of Asia and the Pacific – through a combination of standard courses and short-term research projects. As someone with a long-standing interest in Indonesian politics, society and culture, I wanted to understand that knowledge within a wider context, and build unique, regional expertise across the Asian region, with the hope to apply that in the development or NGO sector. The Australian National University heralds one of the largest concentrations of scholars focused on Asia and the Pacific, so it felt like there was no better place to study!
What was your experience at the College like? How is this helping you achieve your career goals?
My experience at CAP has been fantastic! It is an incredibly tight-knit cohort of students, academics and support staff. Because of this, I was able to easily personalise my learning program to what interested me, undertaking a broad and diverse range of courses (from Chinese history to learning about disasters and epidemics), completing a supervised translation project, and currently a mini thesis.
Who has helped or inspired you?
Along the way, my professors have been very supportive in helping me to choose and shape my own research topics. I have also been surrounded by an incredibly supportive group of students who come from all around the world, whose knowledge and perspectives has enriched my learning experience here at CAP.
What are you currently working on?
I am currently completing a year-long thesis project on the role of feminist activism in support of sexual violence reform in Indonesia. Recently, I have been conducting interviews with feminist scholars and activists, which has been incredibly interesting and rewarding.
What is a piece of advice you would give to those studying a Master of Asian and Pacific Studies?
My top tip would be to make use of the incredible knowledge of your peers and professors. I found that the more open I have been to test my ideas and receive their feedback, the more it has deepened my intellectual curiosity and helped me find new meaning in my studies. My second tip would be to spend some time in the Menzies Library – it is bursting at the seams with incredible books and resources on everything Asia-Pacific related, and a great starting point for any essay or research project.
Learn more about our Master of Asian and Pacific Studies here.