Youth
The ACT Branch has an active group of student members and young professionals who put on events and meeetings throughout the year. Events are held at the Australian National University and the University of Canberra.
AIIA ACT Branch 2012 Student Essay Competition
The AIIA ACT Branch’s Essay Competition is designed to encourage students enrolled at ACT universities to express their views in writing in order to promote a greater interest in and understanding of international affairs.
Two prizes will be offered. A prize of $750 will be won by the best post graduate entry and a prize of $250 for the best undergraduate entry. The winners will also be offered free membership of the ACT Branch of the AIIA for three years. The runner up in each section will receive a Co-op Bookstore voucher to the value of $100 and be offered one year’s membership of the ACT Branch of the AIIA.
Entry Criteria
Any full or part-time under-graduate or post-graduate student enrolled at an ACT university (ANU, UC, and the ACT campus of UNSW and the Australian Catholic University) is eligible to enter the competition.
Applicants may be of any nationality and do not have to be a member of the ACT or any other branch of the AIIA.
Undergraduate student entries will be of essays already assessed to a high standard by their home institution in any of the last three academic years.
Post graduate essays may be drawn from work submitted, or in progress, for their masters or Ph. D. degrees.
The Essays
- must be in English, original, and must not have been previously published
- will be between 2000 and 4000 words (undergraduate entries may be at the shorter end of the spectrum) and may include photos and/or charts
- may be on any topic of international affairs, Australian foreign or trade policy comparative foreign policy, or the implications for Australia’s foreign and domestic policies of such issues as migration, refugee movement, and climate change
- all essays entered must contain critical analysis; those competing for the post graduate prize should also include policy options.
Submission
Essays are to be typed and submitted electronically to the Administrative Assistant at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Timing of Submission
The deadline for the essay competition has been extended to Saturday 31 March. Essays must be received by this date in order to be considered for short listing by the Panel of Judges.
In the post-graduate section, Judges will select up to five finalists for workshopping at small AIIA roundtables in May and June 2012.
Following the Workshops, entrants may refine their entries for final submission by Thursday 20 July.
The winners will be announced at the AIIA ACT Branch AGM in August 2012.
Judging
The judging of essays will be undertaken by a panel of specialists in international affairs.
Publication
Winning essays will be posted on the ACT Branch website and, subject to agreement, in the AIIA Victorian Branch’s Access or AIIA National Office’s Emerging Scholars.
Volunteering
The ACT Branch is always looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help with events, publicity, the website and general office management. If you would like to volunteer at the ACT Branch please send a copy of your CV and a cover letter outlining the time you have to volunteer and what projects you might be interested in, to Jackie Collinson at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Mentoring Program
Purpose
The ACT Branch operates a mentoring program to assist members who are studying international relations at tertiary level with queries relating to their specific research topics. This assistance may be one-off, or periodic, but is not intended to take the form of continuous intensive mentoring over an extended period.
Mentors
Mentors will be sourced from the Branch’s senior professional membership and will comprise individuals who are serving or have served at senior levels in international areas of government or related areas of academia. Mentors have extensive experience and first-hand expertise in their particular fields of research.
Contact Details for Assistance
Members wishing to be put in touch with a Mentor should contact Heath McMichael on 62611693 during business hours, or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and advise their research interests and provide contact details.
Mentors Required.
Suitably qualified members who would like to offer their services as a mentor should complete the attached form and forward to the Administrative Assistant, AIIA ACT Branch, at PO Box 34 Deakin ACT 2600.