Nathan West

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MPhil in Social Anthropology
Clare College, Cambridge
2014 Roberta Sykes Scholar
2013 Aurora Study Tour

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Nathan is a Biripi man born and raised on Awabakal country near Newcastle NSW.  He has completed an MPhil in Social Anthropology at Clare College, Cambridge University focusing on the Anthropology of Eco-Tourism and Development, and a Cross-Cultural Perception of Death. 

He graduated from the University of Newcastle with First Class Honours in a Bachelor of Construction Management in 2009, and was on the Dean's Merit List in 2007.  He received the Jack Doherty Scholarship in 2008 and was awarded the NSW Master Builders Student Estimator of the Year in 2009.

Nathan is currently studying a PhD in Development Economics and International Development at the University of Technology Sydney.  His PhD examines the complex interactions between social, economic and political systems and their relationship with Indigenous self-governance and resource management.  Employing a social-ecological system framework, his PhD seeks to highlight the configurations of and relationships between different variables as they relate to a community's ability to self-govern.


Articles

Indigenous scholars head to world's most prestigious universities, University of Newcastle

Indigenous students with prestigious scholarships, The Newcastle Herald, April 2014

I think it goes without saying that the Aurora Study Tour is a rare and unique experience, particularly in terms of providing access to opportunities which may have otherwise been considered out of reach.  Despite my academic success, and subsequent work in the field, I never could have imagined myself sitting in an office in New York City having a conversation with the UN's leader in Indigenous Human Rights, or being at Harvard University sharing thoughts on racial identity with academic representatives from some the Western world's most ostracised Indigenous cultures. From my experience, the primary intrinsic benefit of the tour is the self-realisation it has provided, not only in terms of highlighting the prestigious academic and overall career path opportunities available due to my prior achievements and experience, but more so in terms of my personal capability to operate and perform in these world-leading forums, both in a sense of belonging and achieving success. 

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