Power Grads
Rhodes scholarship opens the path to China
October 2005
Ryan
Manuel is the first student from the University of South Australia to become a
Rhodes Scholar.
Winning the 2006 Rhodes Scholarship, Ryan will head to Oxford to commence a
three year scholarship study program in Modern Chinese Studies.
Manuel won the inaugural Ehrenberg Scholarship for marketing in 2001 and completed his double degree in International Studies and Marketing at UniSA, winning the University Medal for outstanding academic achievement in 2004.
As the first student from UniSA to receive the Rhodes scholarship, Manuel believes UniSA has been unique in encouraging a very broad approach to education.
"There is a genuine international perspective in the curriculum and real encouragement and support for students to experience broader notions of education beyond the lecture theatre," Manuel says.
His application for the Rhodes scholarship was supported by his teachers Dr Cam Rungie, Dr Terry O'Callaghan and the Vice Chancellor Professor Denise Bradley.
In her recommendation of Ryan Manuel, Professor Bradley said he showed true leadership qualities.
"Ryan is an extraordinary young man. He has a warm, engaging personality, an outstanding intellect and generous nature. He reads widely and understands broad ideas and concepts, well beyond his fields of specialisation, experience, and his years. Despite his considerable successes, Ryan remains open, kind, compassionate and humble. I believe these are the qualities of a natural leader," Prof Bradley said.
She said Manuel was intellectually, physically and morally capable of outstanding leadership.
"I am really grateful for the support UniSA has given me," Manuel says.
"The Rhodes scholarship will allow me to continue my previous research on China, and to examine the implications of my research for Australian foreign policy in an environment where I will have access to some of the world's greatest thinkers, and at an institution that is probably the world's best for my field of research.
"It also gives me access to Chinese policy makers and diplomats and will help me to become fluent in Mandarin Chinese.
"The scholarship recognises my academic work as being of a very high calibre and this is an enormous encouragement for me to continue to be at the forefront of research on what will be one of the most critical global issue of the next century - the rise of China.
"In the future, I hope that the Rhodes scholarship, and my research, will put me in a position where I am able to influence and shape Australian foreign policy."
Ryan Manuel finished graduated from the Bachelor of Management (Marketing)/Bachelor of Arts (International Studies) double degree in 2006 he won the Ehrenberg Scholarship for Marketing in 2004.