Business Dalyell scholars share their vision for future change
Business Dalyell students shared their views on creating positive change in society at the 2019 Advance Awards Ceremony and pitched ideas for embracing neurodiversity in work environments through the IBM Challenge.
Advance Awards Young Achievers Competition
The Advance Awards celebrate international Australians and alumni who exhibit remarkable talent, exceptional vision, and ambition.
For a chance to represent the University of Sydney at the 2019 Advance Awards Gala Dinner, Dalyell students were invited to answer the question, "How can young people like you foster positive change in society?"
Read two of the winning answers from Business Dalyell students.
Harry Ly (Bachelor of Commerce/Law)
What change means to Harry
Change can manifest itself in many forms and shapes. In an ideal world, I hope we come to a point where we celebrate and accept that diversity and multiculturalism can co-exist in society. I hope we build tolerance, respect and dignity for not only others but ourselves.
As a young person who actively participates in local government and at university, I want to be involved in creating a safe, inclusive and accessible space where young people and communities can voice their concerns without fear of prejudice and self-doubt.
How the Dalyell Program has facilitated his vision
The Dalyell Program has been instrumental in broadening my perspective with the experience of other like-minded individuals and academic mentors. The wealth of knowledge and insight has helped me realise what I am capable of.
Through my mentor, I was able to critically evaluate what I do on an individual and community level. I have been able to access opportunities to connect with my cohort and network with industry partners and other academics from different disciplines.
The interactions and growth I have gained from the program has helped me develop my newly established initiative, Tea Talks, through my non-for-profit organisation, The Youth Co-Lab (TYCL). Tea Talks provides opportunities for all diverse groups and individuals to meet like-minded individuals in South-West Sydney by providing young people a safe environment to connect, collaborate and create.
Cathy Zhao (Bachelor of Commerce/Law)
What change means to Cathy
I believe that positive change simply means the improvement of human conditions and the betterment of society that may occur at an individual, community, organizational or governmental level.
I believe that each person can utilize their strengths and skills to be an agent in improving the lives of individuals and communities locally and around the world. That can start from the most basic level, whether working directly with people or using their voice to represent those who may face injustices, to being someone who mobilises the people around them and inspires change.
The latter, cular, requires that our generation fully embraces technological change and capitalises on our imagination and new perspectives to envision and create a better world.
How the Dalyell Program has facilitated her vision
The Dalyell program has provided a channel to exchange ideas with liked-minded peers and professionals. The Let's Talk Leadership series allowed us to hear from industry leaders and gain valuable insights into how they are disrupting their respective fields.
The program empowered me to think about what I could do personally to solve some of problems faced by individuals around me. I believe that international talent remains to be one of the most underutilised business resources, and I am passionate about empowering them to reach their full potential.
This lead me to co-found the Student Career Network, a non-profit platform breaking down the barriers for international students to access professional development opportunities. Whilst forming partnerships with Hong Kong University, the Australian Trade and Investment Commission and various university societies, we developed an extensive network of students and hosted numerous events to enhance their employability skills.
2019 Advance Awards Gala Dinner
Dalyell x IBM Challenge
Dalyell students at IBM Challenge
In collaboration with IBM Australia, Business Dalyell students were challenged to solve a real problem faced by one of the company's clients: "How can Company X embrace neurodiversity while mitigating culture mismatches that are impacting the work environment?"
The top teams were then invited to IBM Australia's office to pitch their ideas.
The case competition provided the opportunity for Finance and Business Analytics student, Chloe Yu to strengthen her research and problem solving skills. The foreign concept of neurodiversity forced Chloe and her team to be resourceful with any available information, as they learnt how to quickly propose solutions for their client
It was an excellent opportunity for me to explore the world of neurodiversity and the concept of workplace inclusion. This experience definitely has raised my awareness about the difference in people and how to be more inclusive and embrace workplace diversity.
On behalf of the team at IBM, Ben Peterson was blown away by the depth of thinking, innovation and pragmatism shown by the Dalyell Teams that pitched their amazing concepts.
The team was impressed by the students' confidence and charisma; as well as their user research and rapid ability to test ideas in real-world scenarios.
"In the end, it is Australia who will be the big winner as a new generation of leaders emerges. The future has never looked brighter and we have never been more excited to see what's next. Wicked problems...your days are numbered," Ben Peterson said.