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Friday, 7 December 2012

Two Arts/Law students at The University of Western Australia have been recognised in the 2013 Prime Minister's Australia Asia Awards.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard presented Elliott Clutterbuck, of Mount Nasura, with his award at a dinner at the National Gallery in Canberra earlier this month.  Neil Thomas, of Waterford, is currently in China and was unable to attend the awards.

The Prime Minister's Australia Asia Awards provide scholarships for the best and brightest university students from Australia and Asia, enabling students to undertake internships as well as international study.

Both Elliott and Neil are studying a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts, with Elliott majoring in Chinese (Mandarin) and Political Science and International Relations and Neil majoring in Chinese and Political Science.

Elliott also holds an Elite Athlete Sport Scholarship and has received a Full Blue for his sporting achievements in badminton, one of China's national sports.  He has just returned home from South Korea where he represented Australia at the 2012 World University Badminton Championships.

Elliott will spend a year in the People's Republic of China where he will undertake intensive Mandarin language classes and study Chinese Law at Tsinghua University in Beijing, a partner university to UWA.

Neil will study at the School of Public Administration and Policy at the Renmin University of China.  During his year of study he will complete coursework in Chinese language and research distortions in Chinese governance and their links with international relations, which will count towards his Honours in Political Science.

Neil also hopes to undertake an internship with the Australian diplomatic corps in western China, as well as a three-month placement in a cultural liaison role with an Australian company before finishing with a three-month internship with a Beijing-based policy think tank.

While studying at Tsinghua, Elliott will spend one day each week as an intern at the Beijing Office of Zhong Yin Law Firm, a major Chinese law office.  On completion of his studies, he will undertake a further internship with an internationally renowned law firm's Beijing Office.

Elliott's application was supported by UWA lecturers Dr Jie Chen (Political Science) and Dr Jill Howieson (Law), as well as UWA Sports Administration Executive Director Bruce Meakins and UWA law graduate Daniel White.

The Prime Minister's Australia Asia Awards aim to develop internationally aware, skilled future leaders and to establish enduring education and professional linkages between Australia and Asia.

Media references

Neil Thomas
Elliott Clutterbuck (+61 4) 11 187 450
Michael Sinclair-Jones (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 3229  /  (+61 4) 00 700 783

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