Dr Amy King – 2017 ANU Westpac Research Fellow

Dr Amy King, from the ANU Strategic & Defence Studies Centre, is the 2017 ANU Westpac Research Fellow. Dr King recalls that the application process for the Fellowship was a valuable experience in its own right.

"The interview is a chance to speak about what you're most passionate about with some of Australia's leading scholars, businesspeople and policy-makers."

Dr King hopes that future applicants do not have misconceptions about the scope of research that the scholarship will fund. "It wouldn't be immediately obvious why a bank would be interested in my project, but they have chosen to fund it. There are lots of people with diverse research backgrounds who could apply for this scholarship."

Dr King, who is also a senior lecturer at the ANU Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, researches China's historical role in shaping the global economy, and its implications for the contemporary era.

"I hope my research will help Australia to better understand the long-term strategic implications of China's global economic goals."

She says the Fellowship provides her with the funding to do archival research and fieldwork in China, Taiwan, the United States and the United Kingdom. The benefits, however, extend well beyond the financial.

"Once we have our research findings, we'll be able to amplify those findings because we are part of this bigger community. Westpac are training us in how to get our research findings out there: how to speak to business, the policy world and different kinds of audiences in Australia, beyond our traditional academic ones."

"This is an unusual Fellowship because they want you to be a part of a wider group who are doing research in totally different areas. It's not just any other fellowship; it's exciting to be part of this bigger group", said Dr King.

Applications are open from 15 June to 31 August 2017

Find out more about becoming a Westpac Fellow here