Sir Walter Murdoch School masters student Darcy Nidd is set to meet some of the most influential business and diplomatic leaders in Australia – and the world – after receiving the Mal and Karyl Nairn Global Voices Scholarship

Global Voices is a not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to provide opportunities for young Australians to engage with international policy both at home and abroad.

As Murdoch’s delegate for the 2018 Global Voices program Ms Nidd, 23, will fly to Canberra to meet with business and diplomatic leaders, before attending the Bali forum of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in October, along with other young Australian leaders of tomorrow.

Ms Nidd, a masters of Public Policy and Management student, said her selection as a Global Voices delegate was the highlight of her academic career.

“The IMF and World Bank meetings in Bali are an amazing opportunity,” Ms Nidd said. “I’m keen to hear how these organisations are pursuing global gender equality, but I’m equally keen to hear about completely new issues, ideas and innovations.

“I’ve wanted to apply for the Global Voices program since starting this degree in 2017. It will be a delight to attend the events with a group of like-minded young Australians, each bringing their own knowledge and strengths to the table.”

The annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group have never before been held in Indonesia.

Ms Nidd said she was looking forward to an engaging discussion on international development that held particular relevance to Australia and our country’s contributions to the region.

Gender equality on the agenda

“One of the most interesting things I have found in studying international development has been the ways in which many policies and global pursuits against inequality have had unexpected and counterproductive consequences,” Ms Nidd said.

Issues such as climate change, automation, population growth, and the changing nature of work were at the forefront of international debate, and Ms Nidd was looking forward to being part of discussions to evaluate current policies and pursuits.

“For example, international discussion around gender equality has often focused on economic participation, but failed to capture associated issues that demonstrate or perpetuate inequality, including the types of work being done, the division of unpaid labour and care work, the disparity in working conditions between men and women, the societal regard for women and female-dominated industries, and the different risks that automation poses to job security for men and women.”

Ms Nidd was also recently awarded the May Trust graduate gender studies prize for her paper studying the relationship between gender equality policy and neoliberalism.

“I believe it is crucial for the next generation of change-makers to be able to think outside the box, and critically analyse existing policies, rather than simply accept the status quo. I would like to bring this perspective and these skills to my work and future opportunities,” she said.

“My studies at Murdoch have pushed me to step further and further outside my comfort zone, thinking critically and thinking for myself. That in turn has revealed a world of opportunities, ideas, and innovations in policy that have the strength to make a real, tangible, positive difference in the world.”

The Sir Walter Murdoch School of Public Policy and International Affairs at Murdoch is renowned for contemporary, relevant content and teaching.

The Mal and Karyl Nairn Global Voices Scholarship was first offered to Sir Walter Murdoch School students in 2015. The fully-funded scholarship includes all domestic and international flights and accommodation for the students involved.

Professor Mal Nairn is a former Murdoch University Vice Chancellor, Deputy Vice Chancellor and Dean of the Veterinary School.

Image caption: Bali-bound: Darcy Nidd (centre) has been chosen to represent Murdoch at the World Bank forum in October. She is pictured with former Murdoch University Vice Chancellor Professor Mal Nairn and Professor Ben Reilly