In the presence of distinguished guests, valued donors, family and friends, 67 students were recognised for their outstanding academic performance at the University of Sydney on Thursday 3 April. A total of 69 scholarships and prizes were presented for the 2024 academic year.
The evening marked the celebration of multilingualism and a multicultural gathering with over 180 guests in attendance. Special guests included officials from embassies, consulates, diplomatic corps and cultural institutions representing various countries such as Austria, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Greece, Korea as well as Buddhist and Jewish communities and foundations.
The event opened with a Welcome to Country by Uncle Michael West who encouraged the importance of maintaining languages and cultures to continually strengthen diversity of inclusion. Dean of Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Professor Lisa Adkins, highlighted the school’s strengths in its community-oriented relationships with partners of various countries and cultural organisations as well as its international reputation and position in the global top 40 for Modern Languages in 2025 QS World University Rankings*. Master of Ceremonies and Sir Nicholas Laurantus Professor of Modern Greek, Professor Vrasidas Karalis, echoed the renown and influence of the School of Languages and Cultures which produces and conducts research and academic excellence around the world.
In her first Awards Ceremony address as Head of School, Professor Avril Alba honoured donors and guests and congratulated student recipients on their achievements of excellent results. She acknowledged the hard work involved in the diligent study of languages and cultures and the students' contribution in creating a vibrant intellectual community, as well as the integral role of family, friends, and supporters to student success.
The School of Languages and Cultures stands as a testament to the power of human connection across linguistic and cultural boundaries.
Professor Avril Alba
Head of School of Languages and Cultures
Professor Alba also acknowledged the expertise of teaching staff whose dedication lay the foundation of academic achievements through intellectual exchange as well as strengthening language and cultural competence in shaping global citizens.
This year, the event's annual signature cultural performances featured Bachelor of Music (Performance) student Shurui Liang on the pipa, a Chinese traditional string instrument also known as the "Chinese lute", and third-year Bachelor of Arts student Michelle Wang who performed a Chinese pop classic song.
For second-year student Ruby Cooney, who received scholarships and prizes across two subject areas, the awards support her ambitions in gaining a better grasp of languages and authentic intercultural skills. She plans to use her scholarship money to fund her overseas study in Italy.
When Ruby commenced her studies at the University of Sydney in 2024, she knew that she wanted to pursue her love of languages beyond high school and to dedicate herself to language learning in a way that would allow her to gain a greater understanding of the world.
“Receiving the awards have reminded me of the joy that studying languages brings me and how it is something that I find so fulfilling,” shared Ruby. “Studying languages is one of the most multi-dimensional areas of study, as language learning is more than memorising verb conjugations or mastering pronunciation – it is engaging with a diversity of cultures in a meaningful way.”
In her reflection on the importance of multilingualism and cross-cultural competence in today’s world, Ruby highlights how language education forms the basis for genuine and meaningful relationships across cultures.
In understanding and showing appreciation for diverse cultures and languages, it is easier to engage in positive and productive discussions about our world and build long-lasting connections.
Ruby Cooney
Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws student
“The skill in knowing languages and cultures could never be more important in our world today,” said Ruby. “I think that everyone should study languages and cultures because it offers a shift in perspective and an expansion of horizons that is otherwise unattainable.”
Ranked 38th globally in Modern Languages and first in the state*, the University of Sydney's School of Languages and Cultures offers a wide range of languages and studies of cultures that span multiple regions.
Congratulations to our scholarship recipients and prize winners
| Arabic Language and Cultures | ||
Jaseena Al-Helo Ana Nouha Bloul Iris Brown Sidra Ghanawi | Lebanon Ladies Association Scholarship in Arabic Language and Cultures | |
Ana Nouha Bloul Emilie Garcia-Dolnik Aiza Khurram | PD Jack Prize | |
| Asian Studies | ||
Taryn Cameron Marceline McGillivray | Gabrielle Ewington Equity Scholarship in Southeast Asian Studies | |
| Daniel Gildenhuys | Khyentse Foundation Award for Excellence in Buddhist Studies | |
| Daniela Pizarro | The Khyentse Foundation Scholarship | |
Chinese Studies | ||
Ye Tian Zhenyue Guan Hongyan Hao Yiwen Li | AR Davis Postgraduate Research Scholarship | |
Jemma Tan Samuel Jiang | The Chinese Studies Alumni Bursary | |
Paul Dedden Ciel Huang | The Chinese Studies Travelling Bursary | |
| Catherine Prabowo | Li Zuoji Prize in Chinese Language | |
Zenan Zhao Junzhe Li Ye Tian | The Raymond Hsu Scholarship | |
| Jinming Yuan | The Frank Coaldrake Scholarship | |
| Leo Barry | The TM Hsiao Scholarship | |
| Leo Barry | To Wing Chinese Language and Culture Fund | |
Joshua Parker Callum Walker | Winston G Lewis Prize in Chinese History | |
| European Studies | ||
| Gus Stephen | The European Studies Konrad Adenauer Prize | |
| Lucinda Bentley | Robert Schuman Prize | |
| French and Francophone Studies | ||
| Ruby Cooney | Anne Bates Memorial Scholarship for French | |
| Veronica Marshall Lucy Juneja | Banque Nationale de Paris Prize for French | |
| Natalie Yeoman | French Embassy Prize I | |
| Lucy Pratten | French Embassy Prize II | |
| Ruby Cooney | French Embassy Prize III | |
| Daisy Harrison-Brown | Garton Scholarship No I for French | |
| Heidi Allen | Garton Scholarship No II for French | |
| Catherine Yang | Graham Jones Prize for French | |
| Ruby Cooney | Ian David Armfield Memorial Prize | |
| Catherine Yang | Ronald Horan Prize for French | |
| Natalie Yeoman | Sonia Marks Memorial Prize for French | |
| Germanic Studies | ||
Carter Claxton Seren Everingham Maximilian Schickinger | Austrian Embassy Prize | |
| Haoyang Zhang | Enid Watson Memorial Scholarship in Germanic Studies | |
| Seren Everingham | Garton Scholarship No IV for German | |
| Xavier Reichel | Garton Scholarship No V for German | |
| Jessica Rayner | Ian David Armfield Memorial Prize (German) | |
| Hebrew, Biblical and Jewish Studies | ||
| Josephine Holland | Dr Lena Cansdale Scholarship - Highest mark in JCTC1XXXX | |
| David Godfrey | Dr Lena Cansdale Scholarship - Highest mark in JCTC2XXXX | |
Yael Adar David Godfrey | Dr Lena Cansdale Scholarship - Equal highest combined mark in JCTC3XXXX | |
| Isabella Knoll | Ivan and Ursula Cher Prize | |
Gregory Keith Vanina Vaisman Levy | John Rector Scholarship in Jewish Studies | |
| Erin O’Brien | Postgraduate Research Scholarship in Holocaust and Museum Education | |
| Olivia Herrman | The Bernard and Rodia Ferster Prize | |
| Brian Ford | The Percy Joseph Marks Prizes for Advanced (3000 Level) Modern Hebrew | |
| Isaac Goldwyn | The Percy Joseph Marks Prize for First Year Beginner's Classical or Modern Hebrew | |
| Charlene Zulman | The Percy Joseph Marks Prize for Intermediate (2000 Level) Modern Hebrew | |
| Lexei Salpeter | The Percy Joseph Marks Prize for Senior Classical Hebrew | |
| Indonesian Studies | ||
Lily Dimitrov-Johnson Xavier Reichel | Asian Students’ Council’s 1963 Festival of Asia Prize for Proficiency in Indonesian Studies Second Level | |
| Simone Waugh | Asian Students’ Council’s 1963 Festival of Asia Prize for Proficiency in Indonesian Studies Third Level | |
| Mitra Wulandari | Carole Muller Award (Fieldwork) | |
Annika Brnabic Simone Waugh | FH van Naerssen Memorial Prize for Indonesian Studies | |
Lily Feakes Sophie Martin | Jolanda Allen Indonesian Studies Scholarship | |
| Rae Anderson | Ronald J Worsley Memorial Prize for Indonesian Studies | |
| Italian Studies | ||
Therese Briganti Ethan Jahani | Beatrice Moran Memorial Prize in Third Year Italian | |
| Ella Briggs | Countess EM Freehill Prize No I for First Year Italian | |
| Clementine Fougere Romey Fanning Zara Podmore | Countess EM Freehill Prize No II for Second Year Italian | |
| Amelia Milne | Judith Russel Ryan Scholarship in Fond Memory of Signora Tedeschi | |
| Ruby Cooney | Rosina Tedeschi Memorial Prize for Italian Conversation | |
| Emma Hooton | The Frances Merenda Travelling Scholarship | |
| Amelia Milne | Margaret Ann Bailey Memorial Prize for Honours in a Modern European Language | |
| Japanese Studies | ||
| Charlie Sho Barker | AL Sadler Prize for Excellence in Japanese Studies | |
| Kana Sato | The Sakuko Matsui Postgraduate Travel Scholarship in Japanese Studies | |
| Korean Studies | ||
Keira Moran Haekal Santoro | Korean Education Centre Prize | |
Poni Lo Cynthia Turangan | Top Media Prize | |
| Modern Greek and Byzantine Studies | ||
| Maria Kakali | Order of the Australian Hellenic Education Progressive Association (AHEPA) Scholarship in Modern Greek | |
| Zijun Tang | Robert William Henderson Memorial Prize | |
| Gabriella Michalopoulos | The Modern Greek Studies Foundation Prize in Modern Greek Studies 1 | |
| Zijun Tang | The Modern Greek Studies Foundation Prize in Modern Greek Studies 2 | |
| Stavroula Nterzoti | The Modern Greek Studies Foundation Prize in Modern Greek Studies 3 | |
| Maria Kakali | The Politis Family Scholarship in Modern Greek and/or Byzantine Studies | |
| Anargyros Kallos | The Sydney University Greek Society (SUGS) Prize for Modern Greek and Byzantine Studies | |
| Savvina-Elisavet Turner | The Zarax Prize | |
Information for scholarships and prizes listed above are provided where their respective pages are available on the University's website at the time of this article's publication.
Browse the 2025 School of Languages and Cultures Awards Ceremony photo album on Facebook.
Header image: Dean of Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Professor Lisa Adkins giving her address at the 2025 School of Languages and Cultures Awards Ceremony