In the midst of countless graduate job questionnaires, cover letters and thesis proposals I didn't think there was anything that could possibly make me fill in another application, but when I saw the Global Voices email from the Co-op Program, I knew I couldn't let this one slip away. A trip to Turkey to attend the G20 Youth Summit (Y20), complete with a pre-departure briefing trip to Parliament House in Canberra was an opportunity too incredible to be ignored.
So I set off to give it everything I had
for this priceless experience. The application form involved only two
questions, 500 words each. I thought that this would be a speedy process but it
turns out perfecting 1000 words was really time consuming (especially for a
borderline OCD Engineer...).
The first question focused on why I wanted
to attend the summit and what I would bring to the Australian Delegation. I was
careful that I didn't slip in “free trip to Turkey!” anywhere in my ‘why’
answer, and instead focused on gaining experience addressing ‘big picture’
strategic challenges from a global economic standpoint. The creative problem
solving skills that my Engineering degree had provided and the valuable
industry understanding I had gained through my Co-op placements were part of
what I thought I could contribute to the summit. In addition, I think it was key to address the
teamwork, communication and networking aspects of the summit. Finally, I think
it was important to recognize that this was not a one-off commitment, but would
in fact open doors for implementing sustainable changes back home after Turkey.
The second question involved submitting a
research proposal for the 4000 word Research Fellowship involved as part of the
Delegation. The purpose of completing this research is that each delegate
arrives in Turkey as a mini ‘expert’ on one area relevant to the Y20 and G20
discussions. Considering that I had
already taken on quite a lot of responsibilities for 2015, I aligned my
proposed research to my Honors thesis topic to ensure I would have adequate time
to dedicate to both. I was fortunate that my area of interest is around
Innovation in the Global Energy sector, which is closely matched to the three
core pillars of the G20 Turkish Presidency. I think that my research into the
G20 priorities and agenda really helped make my application more relevant.
A lot of useful tips came from the Google
Hangout organised by the Co-op Program and the Global Voices team. Although I
was in Thailand at the time, I locked my friend out of the room and logged in
to make sure I didn't miss any insights. FYI you don’t need your camera on to
connect to this – it was not worth bringing a blazer to Thailand!! The Global
Voices team mentioned reading the previous G20 and Y20 communiqués, as well as
the research fellowships from past delegates. These really helped me gauge how
specific and relevant my proposal needed to be.
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