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A wealth of experiences, from returning to a war-torn Yugoslavia that his parents had left in the 1970s to working with Aboriginal communities, have helped shape the strong moral convictions and commitment to human rights that characterise University of WA graduate Daniel Vujcich, who has been selected as the 2008 Rhodes Scholar for Western Australia.

The UWA Arts/Law graduate, who is working as a research associate at the Supreme Court of Appeal, plans to study in the area of development or African studies when his prestigious scholarship takes him to Oxford University next year. His aim is to work in the area of aid to developing countries when he completes his Master’s degree at Oxford.

As a Year 12 student at La Salle College in Middle Swan, Daniel’s career path was decided after attending a Constitutional Convention in Canberra.

“I met many other like-minded students who had similar visions for the world, and they all intended to study Arts/Law,” Daniel said. “I also met the Governor General, Sir William Deane, who struck me as someone who managed to use the two fields of law and politics to make a difference.”

An all-rounder who involved himself in campus clubs at UWA, Daniel has an impressive record in community work that has seen him work as a volunteer with refugees in Perth, and as a youth volunteer in Papua New Guinea. A member of the WA Rowing Club crew, Daniel held leadership positions in the Blackstone Society and Progressive Law Students’ Association. He is also the author of several papers that have been published in law journals.

The 2008 Arts/Law graduate won a string of prizes during his studies at UWA, including the Lexis Nexis Prize in Law and the Patrick O’Brien Graduate Internship Scholarship in Political Science.

UWA Vice-Chancellor Professor Alan Robson said Daniel would be an excellent ambassador for the University and Western Australia.

Professor Robson also congratulated Dr Carlo Bellini and Elizabeth Millar, who were chosen for possible selection as one of the three 2008 Australia-at-Large Rhodes Scholars.

The Rhodes Trust offers 11 Rhodes Scholarships in Australia each year, one for award in each State and three for Australia-at-Large.

Carlo graduated from UWA in 2006 with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) while Elizabeth is in the final year of a combined Arts/Engineering degree, majoring in French and Applied Ocean Science Studies.

Media references

Daniel Vujcich, 2008 Rhodes Scholar 61 8 9421 5477

Simone Hewett / Sally-Ann Jones 61 8 6488 7977
(UWA Public Affairs) 0420 790 097 / 0420 790 09