2021
The Fellowship The Susan Wakil Fellowship is an unparalleled student political leadership program run by AUJS. The Fellowship provides a platform for Jewish students to contribute to campus and community life. The Fellowship delivers a comprehensive educational curriculum that provides Fellows with the skills, knowledge and networks to change society for the better. These skills include project management, relationship building, media and communications strategies, speechwriting, design thinking principles, facilitation, managing your Linkedin profile and more. Fellows participate in political masterclasses led by various experts in Melbourne, Sydney, and Canberra. The workshops are designed to provide the knowledge and skills necessary for students to successfully execute their own political and social impact projects. Additionally, Fellows receive tailored industry mentors, from respected professionals in the fields of their interests. The Fellowship is a free program for all successful applicants, this includes a retreat and an interstate tour.
The Vision The vision of the Susan Wakil Fellowship is to continue the story of Jewish contribution, with its leadership playing crucial roles in advancing many important social and legal movements for change, with a focus on the student and campus community. The Fellowship intends to empower a new generation of Jewish leaders with a sense of civic duty, through the provision of knowledge, skills, resources, and networks necessary to enact meaningful change.
The Mission The mission of The Susan Wakil Fellowship is to empower a generation of Jewish leaders who want to make a positive impact on Australian society.
The Australasian Union of Jewish Students The Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS) is the peak representative body for Jewish tertiary students, representing thousands of students across over 18 campuses, in accordance with its foundational pillars; Judaism, Activism, Pluralism and Zionism. For over 70 years, AUJS has been the political training ground of the Jewish community. Since the late 90s, AUJS has been running various elite political training initiatives, including the annual Political Training Seminar in Canberra (PTS). The Susan Wakil Fellowship is the natural next step for AUJS and the Jewish community, and is designed to increase the Jewish student community’s drive for political activism. The Fellowship emerged out of a partnership between the The Susan and Isaac Wakil Foundation and AUJS, with the mutual aspiration to increase civic participation amongst Jewish students in the wider Australian community.
About Susan Wakil Susan Wakil migrated to Australia with her aunt when she was 15 years old, fleeing a war-torn and hostile Soviet government in what is now Moldova. She met her husband, Isaac Wakil, who was also a migrant from persecution in Iraq, and they married in 1953. The couple became very successful entrepreneurs, and were generous philanthropists throughout their lives. Upon retirement they began selling their property portfolio in order to finance incredible philanthropic ventures with a focus on Institutions of education and culture being accessible to all Australians. This includes a subsidised ticket system to allow people to enjoy the Opera in Sydney and Melbourne, educational scholarships for disadvantaged students, Nursing scholarships, The University of Sydney’s magnificent Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, as well as The Susan Wakil Pavilion as part of the long anticipated expansion of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Susan and Isaac also supported the Sydney Jewish Museum, who aspire to educate students and visitors about the history of Australia’s Jewish migrants. The Susan Wakil AO Chair of Education is in honour of their support, and the Anna and Mark Reznik Centre of Learning on the lower ground floor is named after Susan’s parents.
This Fellowship would not be possible without the support of the Susan and Isaac Wakil Foundation. We extend our deepest gratitude to Susan and Isaac for their support and their vision for the Jewish and Australian community.
Program Retreat
| Feb
The Immersive Retreat is the catalyst of the Fellowship; a four day opening stanza in regional Australia, during which time the Fellows learn more about the program, their Fellowship cohort, and themselves. Not only is the content of the retreat engaging, challenging and thought provoking, but the Fellowship staff work hard to curate a dynamic and exciting team of Fellows, and this is the first opportunity that this team has to meet each other in this new and exciting context. We believe in cultivating an interests-based community of like minded university students in a way which transcends conventional social patterns in our Jewish community.
Workshops
| Mar - Oct
There are a number of fortnightly workshops throughout the course of the year. These are conducted in city groups in person, or as a collective via video conference call. The workshop curriculum is designed to cater to Fellows from across the political spectrum, providing them with the important skills necessary to design and execute projects and for their own personal growth and development. The current curriculum of workshops at the Retreat and during the year includes: • • • • • • • •
Designing [Projects] Thinking [Problems] Media, Press Releases & Journalism Data Analysis & Using Data Relationship Building & Storytelling Grassroots Organisations & Advocacy Digital Media Strategy Impact & Measurement
Projects
• • • • • • •
Lobbying & Political Decision Making Public Policy & Policy Development Pitching & Presenting Student Politics Political Philosophy Stakeholder Management and Networking Linkedin, Resume and Cover Letters
| Mar – Dec
The Project component of the Fellowship provides the Fellows with an incredible opportunity to put the skills they are learning into practice. In this component Fellows collaborate in small groups, collectively building an initiative that attempts to solve a problem they all care about. The design of the project experience follows a ‘double diamond’ structure, which is built around the 4 D’s: Discover, Define, Develop and Deliver. Through this process, Fellows learn how to better understand a space and the forces in play, before defining the problem they think is most impactful and then developing and delivering their solutions. The Fellowship breaks down the mammoth task of creating a project into very small, bite size steps, which you will work through with your group and with the support of your Fellowship staff member, to whom you are accountable. One of our greatest gifts throughout the year is providing our Fellows with a clear structure and method of getting any project off the ground.
Political Training Seminar ((PTS))
| Mar or Aug
PTS is an exclusive AUJS political leadership development immersive, which is run in the nation’s capital. PTS participants are given the opportunity to engage with Federal-level politicians, lobbyists, key media figures, and opinion leaders. Political skills training and tours in key sites around Canberra are also included in this program. This Canberra experience is one of the three times throughout the year that the entire Fellowship cohort get to be together.
Regional Tour
|
July
The Fellowship Regional Tour is an absolutely unparalleled experience. Nothing short of a Power Trip, Fellows meet with an incredible line up of politicians, lobbyists, policy analysts, academics, not-forprofit CEO’s, journalists and other media professionals, community leaders, social entrepreneurs and other inspiring Australians. The purpose of the program is to destigmatize the world of institutionalised change. Who are the people who are making a difference in the world, while still earning a crust? The Regional Tour visits Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne, and provides the Fellows with insights into the career paths they could take and the opportunities available to them that they simply don’t know about. Alongside these experiences, Fellows also enjoy masterclass workshops on Design Thinking, Speechwriting, Facilitation and many other skills which ensure they are even closer to making the giant leap into an impactful career.
Mentors
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The Fellowship takes immense pride in its mentor program. Staff scour the community to find the ideal mentor(s) for each Fellow, taking into consideration interests, career aspirations, political leanings and personal experiences. Mentors have included Federal and State Members of Parliament, Political Staffers, Journalists, Leadership Coaches, Lobbyists, NFP CEOs, Academics, Corporate Strategists and all other sorts of impressive members of our community. The mentor provides each Fellow with an experienced role model that is invested in their growth and the progress of their project. Mentors are given a clear outline of the year, and are excited to walk with Fellows through this exciting journey of personal growth and project development.
WHO SHOULD APPLY Students who are passionate about improving the world - at any scale. Students that like to talk about the things they care about and want to know how they can turn conversation into meaningful change. Students looking to investigate career paths that balance financial reward with the ability to make a significant contribution to society.
Applying for the Susan Wakil Fellowship Applicants must submit an online application along with their CV sent to the Fellowship Coordinator, following the requirements of the application forms. Application forms are available on www.aujs.com.au/swf-applications. Applications close on September 24th 2020 Interviews will be held in mid and late October. Students will be offered Fellowships in late November and December after final examinations. The Fellowship is a highly selective program. Each year, fifteen Fellows will be selected across Melbourne and Sydney. The Fellowship is a rewarding and enriching program. As a result, the Fellowship will be demanding and require a significant time commitment throughout the year from the Fellows. We expect the commitment will be similar to one unit of study per semester. For more information, please contact: Sydney Fellowship Coordinator, Harry Rosen | swfnsw@aujs.com.au Melbourne Fellowship Coordinator, Timnah Baker | swfvic@aujs.com.au General inquiries | swf@aujs.com.au | 02 9381 4290
Applications open on August 10th 2020
Through its various seminars, programs and mentorships, the Susan Wakil Fellowship has been a truly exceptional pathway into political careers. It uniquely fosters relationships between fellows like myself, and professionals across the political landscape. Each corner of the industry is touched upon and social justice is consistently a central tenet to each seminar. The mentorship, which involves monthly sessions of tailored professional advice, has given me insight into job prospects that cannot be looked up on the internet. I feel so fortunate that my community offers such a phenomenal way to absorb knowledge and engage with the industry in a new way.
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Pnina Hagege | Fellow 2020
The Susan Wakil Fellowship provided me with the platform to learn, advocate and engage in projects that make a real difference within communities. Through its programmes and initiatives, I gained exposure to a range of incredible organisations and leaders that shaped how I approach the world around me. The Fellowship is inspiring and will serve as an important stepping stone to making change in what ever field you hope to go into. Adam Rushford | Fellow 2018
It’s not an easy task to reconfigure a Fellowship course in such a short space of time. Even more difficult a task is it to maintain a high level of engagement and interactivity. Throughout the past few months, the Fellowship organising team have displayed a masterclass in the art of zoom. Perfecting in particular the use of ‘break out rooms’, the fellowship has maintained its ability to give fellows a unique and personal opportunity to interact and learn from an array of important politicians, academics, businesspeople and more.
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Z ak Ben Moshe | Fellow 2020
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For more information visit www.aujs.com.au/swf