International Program

Each year the Women's College provides financial support for students to extend their networks abroad by representing the College and the University at international meetings and conferences, or by undertaking special programs overseas. College actively encourages students to take advantage of opportunities for broadening their educational and professional experiences, and extending their contacts and their horizons in this way.

College Principal Yvonne Rate AM says " Leaders are those who look ahead and plan accordingly. As educated women,or students have the capacity to make a difference and I challenge them to accept this responsibility."

Some of our recent international travellers include...

Julia Fetherston

Go Run New York: The White House Project

In August 2007 Julia attended 'Go Run New York', a series of seminars and networking events for women interested in working in professional politics. College provided financial support for Julia to attend, and to meet what she called “an amazing collection of women” who attended as delegates. Julia writes of her experiences:

The White House Project is an independent lobby group that seeks the election of a woman to the Presidency of the United States. White House project staff are fond of saying that elected officials in the US are 81% men and 86% white, and they are working hard to reverse those trends.

The weekend was taken up with training sessions on everything from how to fundraise for a political campaign to how to develop a career as a strategist. The selection of speakers and trainers was very diverse, with representatives from the Progressive Majority, the ACLU, major lobby groups and fundraising firms. Film screenings, dinners and networking events ensured that 100 women of all ages and backgrounds had a chance to develop friendships.

Of course, much debate and discussion ensued about the likely outcome of 2008's presidential election – the smart money at the conference seemed to be on Hillary Clinton! It was fascinating to listen to women actively working in a system so radically different from the Australian model of election campaigning. In a system awash with money, special interest and character politics, women might well struggle to get a hearing. It was wonderful to hear firsthand from Congresswomen, political strategists and candidates about their experiences in American politics. Their candour about the barriers women face in seeking elected office was truly refreshing.

Delegates at the conference were delighted to have a foreign visitor in their midst – I received mini-tutorials on everything from the United States healthcare system to working in Washington. Happily, the American delegates were just as eager to learn about the intricacies of Australian politics - I spent a good twenty minutes trying to explain how a compulsory voting system works! I certainly came away from the conference with a deeper understanding of the intricacies of US politics. More importantly, I was inspired to meet many of the women actively working to make women's voices heard.

Pip Moorehead 

College assisted Pip to attend the International Institute for Women in Engineering (IIWE) Conference in Paris, July 2007. Pip writes:

The experiences and knowledge I gained during the 3 weeks of seminars run by the IIWE this July have certainly been some of the most enriching and enjoyable of my engineering career so far. One of the highlights of the experience would definitely be the meeting and getting to know of the other IIWE participants from countries as diverse as Kenya, Israel and Hungary!

In addition to meeting some fabulous women, with whom I shared so many commonalities and aspirations, the IIWE program provided significant opportunity to meet with prospective employers and gain a greater understanding of a variety of industries through the many company visits that were initiated by the program. These visits included IBM Headquarters, Schlumberger Oil and Gas, Socialete General Bank, and Veolia Water. I particularly enjoyed these visits as I found they got me very excited and motivated about my career to come and truly gave the 3.5 years of engineering study that I have done, some context.

The IIWE seminar was certainly one of the best experiences I have had in my life, from the opportunity of visiting Paris (and Europe that matter) for the first time, to the enlightenment the program has provided me in terms of my status as a female engineer in an era where engineers are under such extreme demand especially in the mist of increasing global concern regarding climate change. I am extremely grateful to The Women’s College for the opportunity and support provided to attend the IIWE conference. I hope the college continues to support students to attend such a worthwhile program in the future!