2012 AustCham China Scholarship Recipients

Amy Hallam, from Melbourne Australia, has graduated with Honours from Monash University with a Bachelor of Environmental Science. Amy first arrived in China in 2009 as an Australian Youth Ambassador for Development working on environmental education and training at Jiuzhaigou National Park in Sichuan. With a desire to further contribute to China’s sustainable future, Amy relocated to Harbin for a year of full time Chinese language study. Prior to living in China Amy worked for three years in Australia as an Ecologist/ Environmental Scientist for GHD, an international consultancy company. Amy is very excited to be working for the world’s largest environmental consultancy company, Environmental Resource Management (ERM), where she will contribute to environmental impact assessments for significant projects throughout the Asia-Pacific. She hopes to work at the forefront of environmental initiatives in the Asia-Pacific and positively contribute to the region’s sustainable future.

Zi Hao (David) Lin, from Melbourne, Australia was originally born in Canton, China. In 2011 he graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) (Honours), where during his degree he also undertook a semester long exchange to Tsinghua University in Beijing from 2010 to 2011. He is proficient in both Cantonese and Mandarin, and believes that his understanding and experiences of both Australian and Chinese culture has prepared him well for work in China. David believes that the exchange he undertook has provided him an unique head start to develop his Sino-Australian competencies. Grateful to be offered yet another opportunity to be in China this time with AustCham China, Zi Hao will participate as a Civil Engineer working with BlueScope Steel China, where he hopes to further develop his competencies both personally and professionally as an Sino-Australian Engineer.

David Williams, from Noosa, holds a Business Management degree, majoring in Business Economics, from the University of Queensland. His early schooling was done in Thailand & Brunei where he first started learning Chinese.  During his time at university David participated in university and college activities including the Young Achievement Australia business competition. The team placed first at the state level. Whilst at University he also studied TESOL and had the opportunity to twice visit China to teach on short-term assignments. David has been living in China since August 2010 as a full-time student of Mandarin, first in Harbin in North-East China and now in Kunming in Southern China.  As a recipient of the AustCham China Scholarship, David will be working inBeijing with WesTrac in the Marketing department; the position will have a strong emphasis on analysing economic data.

Georgina O'Loughlin, fromMelbourne, holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) and a Diploma of Languages (Mandarin) from Monash University. Throughout the course of her studies, Georgina has been fortunate enough to travel to China extensively, undertaking language and finance studies at Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management, the Shanghai International Studies University, and the Beijing Language and Cultures University. Georgina is one of the founding organisers of the Australia-China Youth Dialogue (ACYD), and the founding President of the Australia-China Youth Association’s Monash University chapter. During her time in China, Georgina has accumulated broad experience in a diverserange of sectors and was most recently employed at the Australian Trade Commission in Beijing. As a recipient of the AustCham China Scholarship, Georgina will be working at the Westpac Banking Corporation in Beijing.

Laura Fenwick, Brisbane QLD, has a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) from the University of Queensland, a Bachelor of Design (Architectural Studies) with Honours and is about to graduate with a Masters of Architecture from the Queensland University of Technology with her Master’s thesis being on China’s Eco-City Concepts. During her studies Laura has been awarded grants, which enabled her to pursue her studies of architecture internationally. In 2008 she took part in an architecture study tour of Vietnam and Hong Kong and spent time tutoring architecture students at the City University of Hong Kong. Throughout her studies Laura has worked at Arkhefield Architects in Brisbane, a leading Queensland based architectural and interior design practice specialising in creating challenging and meaningful architecture. Through the Scholarship, Laura will be working for Woods Bagot, a leading Australian international architectural firm.

Robert Hopkins, Wollongong NSW, graduated from the University of NSW with a Bachelor of International Studies (Asian Studies – Chinese). Robert has travelled and studied extensively in China having spent three months in Kunming in 2007 and at Tsinghua University in Beijing from 2009-2010. He has worked extensively in the hotel industry and has always been interested in combining his strong interest in China with marketing. In his spare time, Robert is a keen saxophonist and has performed widely, including at the Confucius Institute Annual Conference in 2010. Through the AustCham Scholarship Robert will be a Marketing Advocacy Specialist assisting with marketing and public relations strategy at Cochlear.

Roger Zhi-Yao Dongis graduating with a Bachelor of Laws/Engineering (Chemical) from the University of Melbourne in Victoria. While studying at university, he has had a wide range of experiences in the legal sector, having worked in commercial law firms and has volunteered at various law centres. Roger has also conducted industrial research and studies in chemical engineering and is keen on combining his interests in both fields. He was born in China, and is excited to be able to use this opportunity to connect with his background and learn more about the business culture in China. Roger is looking forward to beginning work at Runge Mining, a global company whose Beijing office focuses upon initial public offerings on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange by mining companies.

Samantha Cookis from Melbourne and has completed the Juris Doctor at Monash University. She also has a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Chinese Studies from the University of Melbourne. As part of her undergraduate degree, she has studied at Fudan University, Shanghai. Samantha has also spent a year working as a trainee teacher in Nanjing and has traveled extensively throughout rural China. She has a passion for middle distance running and has represented Victoria in athletics, cross-country and has been a national medalist in surf lifesaving. Samantha has previously worked as a clerk at two Australian law firms, and has volunteered in the Cook Islands. Samantha will be working at Mallesons Stephen Jaques in the banking and finance division, and hopes to enhance her Mandarin language and gain experience in cross-border transactions.