The Roberta Sykes Indigenous Education Foundation

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Welcome to the Roberta Sykes Indigenous Education Foundation website. Here you can learn more about the Foundation, the Scholarships, news on past and present Scholars, and how you can support the Foundation's work.

MEDIA RELEASE - 2014 Roberta Sykes Scholarships
14 April 2014

Left to right: Nathan West and Michael Bryden

The Roberta Sykes Indigenous Education Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of two Roberta Sykes Scholarships, a scheme assisting Indigenous Australians to pursue postgraduate study at leading overseas universities.

The two recipients are: Monash University graduate Michael Bryden, and University of Newcastle graduate Nathan West.

Michael Bryden, who recently graduated with First Class Honours in a Bachelor of Arts (Criminology and Politics) with a High Distinction average throughout his degree, has been accepted to undertake an M.Phil in Criminological Research at the University of Cambridge.

Nathan West, who completed his Bachelor of Construction Management with First Class Honours, achieving a Distinction average throughout his degree, has been accepted to both the M.Phil in Social Anthropology at the University of Cambridge, and the M.Phil in Social Anthropology at the University of Oxford.

Supporting Indigenous students for over 25 years, the Roberta Sykes Indigenous Education Foundation offers a number of students the opportunity to undertake postgraduate study at leading overseas universities each year.

The scholarships are jointly funded by the Australian Government, the Cambridge Commonwealth, European & International Trust, Cambridge Australia Scholarships Ltd, the University of Oxford, the University of Canberra, and Justice John Basten.

Speaking about the scholarships, the Chair of the Roberta Sykes Foundation, Peter Waters said:

“The Trustees are honoured to support these two exemplary Indigenous scholars in their studies at Cambridge and/or Oxford later this year.

“Twenty years ago, Indigenous scholars were confined to a narrow range of disciplines. Today however, scholars are branching out across a variety of fields.

“The Roberta Sykes Scholarships promote the vision of a better future in which Indigenous people can assume positive roles across a spectrum of career and leadership opportunities.

“We acknowledge that it is largely due to the generosity of our donors that our recipients are able to realise their aspiration of overseas study. I sincerely wish to thank the Australian Government, the University of Oxford, the Cambridge Commonwealth, European & International Trust, Cambridge Australia Scholarships, the University of Canberra, Justice John Basten and the many others who have made these outstanding awards possible.”

The scholarships to Cambridge and Oxford cover all fees and living expenses, and are valued at over $70,000 for the period of one year.

-- Ends --

Contact:
Kate Prince
02 8284 9915
kprince@cannings.net.au

The Roberta Sykes Indigenous Education Foundation Reception June 2012

Left to right: Tim Goodwin, Donisha Duff, Kerrie Doyle, and Greg Lehman.

On Wednesday 13 June 2012, the Sykes family joined with donors, trustees, supporters and government representatives to celebrate the success of returning scholars:

Donisha Duff, 2011 Roberta Sykes Fellow to Harvard,
Tim Goodwin, LLM at Harvard, and inaugural Roberta Sykes Harvard Club Scholar,

and departing scholars:

Kerrie Doyle, MSc in Evidence-Based Social Intervention, with a focus on Indigenous
Health at Wolfson College, University of Oxford
Greg Lehman, MSt in History of Art and Visual Culture at Balliol College at the University of Oxford.