The Ramsay Centre For Western Civilisation

05/06/2026

Congratulations to 2024 Ramsay Postgraduate Scholar Georgia McKerracher who has received the 2026 C. Grove Haines Prize for the best Master's thesis at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, where she is studying a Master of Arts in International Relations.

Awarded annually to one graduate, the prize recognises her thesis, “Current Affairs: The Changing Tides of Pacific Development Aid.” The thesis examines two questions: How do Pacific Island governments perceive their development partners, and how are they responding to a period of significant geopolitical change?

The Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship empowers Australia’s brightest minds to pursue their global ambitions, offering an exceptional pathway for future leaders, innovators and change makers. We are very proud of Georgia and the contribution she is making to her field.

27/05/2026

"Antimicrobial prescribing matters because people matter. If we are wasteful with scarce resources, we are being wasteful with each other’s lives. Artificial intelligence will never deliver a utopia, but it may help postpone death, and appropriate prescribing may therefore give a loved one a little more time for what matters. The Ramsay Centre has given me the chance to spend three years working seriously on exactly that."

2024 Ramsay Postgraduate Scholar Dr William Waldock is a doctor and clinical researcher determined to help Australia lead the global response to antimicrobial resistance.

With his Postgraduate Scholarship, he is now twenty months into a PhD in Clinical Research at Imperial College London’s Institute of Global Health Innovation (IGHI) and the new Fleming Initiative, where he is developing AI-driven clinical decision support systems to improve how hospitals prescribe antibiotics, and where he is developing STEWARD-AI as a framework for commissioning AI for antimicrobial stewardship.

To hear about his Ramsay Scholarship experience in his own words click here: https://www.ramsaycentre.org/news-and-media/postgraduate-scholar-in-focus-dr-william-waldock/

20/05/2026

The Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship backs future leaders who will make a lasting impact on Australia.
It’s fantastic to see 2025 Scholar Dr Nicholas Clarke, currently studying a Doctor of Medicine at Oxford, making real progress towards improving the early detection of cardiac disease.
Working with a team at Oxford, Nicholas has explored the capabilities of photon-counting cardiac CT and co-authored a guide to this emerging technology in the British Journal of Radiology, supporting its adoption in clinical practice.
We’re excited to see Nicholas bring this cutting-edge expertise back to Australia as it gains momentum, and proud to support scholars like Nicholas as they pursue research that can change lives.
Read the publication here: https://academic.oup.com/bjr/advance-article/doi/10.1093/bjr/tqag095/8662828?login=false

14/05/2026

Photos from the recent The University of Queensland (UQ) Ramsay Scholars dinner, a special reception at Brisbane's Customs House to celebrate the UQ/Ramsay Centre partnership and welcome the latest cohort of Ramsay Scholars.

The dinner was attended by representatives of UQ leadership including the Chancellor Mr Peter Varghese AO. It was also attended by Ramsay Centre CEO Dr Martin Fahy, Centre Executive and Board, and more than 150 students enrolled in the program.

This is the seventh intake of Ramsay Scholars into UQ’s extended major in Western Civilisation, which is the single most competitive course for entry in the Humanities in Australia.

11/05/2026

Wondering how and why to read the classics in this age of mass distraction?

"Many books considered “classics” are long. Masterpieces such as Middlemarch or Les Misérables might seem intimidating because in physical form they resemble door stops and they often have complex, demanding language and long, convoluted sentences.

"But reading the classics can deliver cognitive, social, emotional and even ethical benefits, helping us strengthen habits of thoughtful attention and develop the skills to communicate with clarity and empathy."

Expert advice from Johanna Harris, Associate Professor of Literature who teaches the Western Civilisation Program at Australian Catholic University (ACU).

Many literary masterpieces are long and wordy, But reading them can bring surprising benefits, beyond sheer pleasure. Here’s how to tackle the classics.

06/05/2026

The latest cohort of University of Queensland (UQ) Ramsay Scholars have been officially welcomed at a special reception celebrating the UQ/Ramsay Centre partnership at Brisbane’s Customs House.

The annual UQ Ramsay Scholars dinner was attended by representatives of UQ leadership including the Chancellor Mr Peter Varghese AO. It was also attended by Ramsay Centre CEO Dr Martin Fahy, Centre Executive and Board, and more than 150 students enrolled in the program.

This is the seventh intake of Ramsay Scholars into UQ’s extended major in Western Civilisation, which is the single most competitive course for entry in the Humanities in Australia.

Thanks to a partnership agreement between the Ramsay Centre and UQ, Ramsay Scholars are supported with funding of up to $32,000 p.a. to study Western Civilisation in UQ’s Bachelor of Advanced Humanities (Western Civilisation) (Honours) degree, or in its Bachelor of Humanities (Western Civilisation)/Bachelor of Laws (Honours) dual degree.

Scholarships are awarded each year to academic high achievers who desire to make a difference. Each year the program also accepts increasing numbers of students without a scholarship into the extended major, reflecting the course’s growing popularity. All students enrolled in the course are taught in small class groups and receive academic mentoring. The partnership also funds the hire of world-class educators.

Read more:

06 May 2026: The latest cohort of University of Queensland (UQ) Ramsay Scholars have been officially welcomed at a special reception celebrating the UQ/Ramsay Centre partnership at Brisbane’s Customs House. The annual UQ Ramsay Scholars dinner was attended by representatives of UQ leadership inclu...

21/04/2026

A defining feature of our partner universities’ undergraduate Western Civilisation programs is the strong sense of community they foster within small, intellectually engaged cohorts.
Students enrolled in these courses benefit from close academic mentoring, small class sizes, and shared cultural experiences that encourage discussion, debate, and learning from one another.

This was on full display last weekend at the UOW: University of Wollongong, Australia Student and Staff Retreat, where the newest cohort of students came together off‑site with academic staff for conversation, reflection and shared experiences.

Students heard from Dr Tyler Paytas (ACU) on Stoic Faith, Senior Professor Dan Hutto, Head of UOW’s School of Liberal Arts, on philosophy and ethics in the post‑truth era, and Professor Diana Glenn, Academic Director at the Ramsay Centre, on our benefactor, the late Paul Ramsay AO, whose generosity has enabled these outstanding programs to be established and offered to promising young Australians.

A powerful beginning to an ambitious intellectual journey.

15/04/2026

Last night, the Australian Catholic University (ACU) hosted Justice Ian Jackman SC, a judge of the Federal Court of Australia, as part of its Aletheia Speaker Series—a public lecture program of ACU’s Western Civilisation program that brings leading scholars and public intellectuals to campus.

Justice Jackman spoke on 'Civilisation and Citizenship: The Words and Deeds of Sir Victor Windeyer', reflecting on the life of the Major General and High Court justice whose career exemplified exceptional service, duty, and civic responsibility.

In his address, Justice Jackman observed that:
“Fundamental to the idea of citizenship is a moral imperative to nurture and enhance that inheritance. As citizens, we are duty‑bound to hold fast to the good things in our inheritance in order to pass them on, and we have no right to disinherit the next generation.”

Quoting Sir Victor Windeyer on common law’s inherent capacity for development :
“We must, of course, build upon established foundations and without destroying the symmetry of the existing building: but we need not be fearful of making additions to fill vacant spaces if they accord with what is already standing.”

The lecture is available in full via the Federal Court’s Digital Law Library:
https://www.fedcourt.gov.au/digital-law-library/judges-speeches/justice-jackman/jackman-j-20260414
📰 The lecture was also the subject of a column by Janet Albrechtsen in The Australian:
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/federal-judge-civilisation-relies-on-us-dont-let-the-show-down/news-story/9c0d2d2748860d5e1ff7c312f663d8e0

In 1969, the BBC produced an extraordinary television series entitled “Civilisation”. The first episode begins with Kenneth Clark standing on the Pont des Arts in Paris. On one side of the Seine is the Institute of France; on the other side is the Louvre; and just visible upstream is the Cathedr...

07/04/2026

“Experience is the teacher of all things.”

Last week, a selection of students enrolled in Australian Catholic University (ACU)'s Bachelor of Western Civilisation attended Bell Shakespeare’s production of Julius Caesar.

Across our university partners, Western Civilisation programs emphasise close reading, seminar discussion, and sustained engagement with Shakespeare’s plays as part of the study of the Great Works of the Western tradition. Opportunities to attend live performances form an important element of the cultural enrichment offered to Western Civilisation scholars.

In recent years, students from our partner institutions—Australian Catholic University, The University of Queensland, and the University of Wollongong—have taken part in a range of Shakespeare‑themed experiences. These have included special viewings of Shakespeare folios at the State Library of NSW, public lectures by John Bell AO OBE, founder of Bell Shakespeare, and attendance at multiple stage performances of Shakespeare’s plays.

Seeing Shakespeare performed brings the text to life—deepening understanding, sharpening interpretation, and reminding students that these works were written to be experienced, not just read.

Well done to ACU students for embracing the experience and engaging so thoughtfully with Shakespeare’s work on stage.

01/04/2026

More photos from the Centre's recent Postgraduate Leadership Development Workshop in Berlin, an intensive residential program focused on leadership, critical thinking and professional growth.

Led by Ramsay Centre CEO Dr Martin Fahy, the program combined expert‑led sessions, group exercises, reflective discussions and cultural immersion designed to challenge scholars intellectually and support their development as future leaders.

A highlight of the workshop was a formal dinner at Berlin’s Humboldt Forum, where scholars were joined by distinguished guest and keynote speaker HE Angus Campbell AO, Ambassador to Belgium and former Chief of the Australian Defence Force from 2018 until 2024.