A Worldly Adventure
Over the Summer holidays, I decide to pursue my passion for international relations and advocacy. My inquisitive nature paired with my international outlook means that I constantly seek to understand world event, share knowledge, challenge ignorance, voice my opinion and get involved in my local, national and global community.
My summer holidays commenced by me jetting off to Sydney, where I would integrate the Baker McKenzie Energy, Resources and Infrastructures team for three weeks. There, I specialised in French Polynesian law and assisted Partner Matthieu Hanaut to conduct legal research, draft emails to clients and legal documents, in both French and English, and attended meetings with clients and French officials. This role deepened my understanding of the French Polynesian marketplace, limits to foreign investments, and how to conduct international negotiations.
I had the pleasure of attending the Baker Women’s ‘Diverse Women in Law’ event, where keynote speakers spoke of gender equality, avenues for success and tips on how to stand out. Upon finishing my internship, I had the honour of returning to Baker McKenzie to assist the Baker DNA’s ‘Sexual orientation, gender identity & asylum’ event. These events highlighted the global nature of adversities faced by minorities, and the importance of committing to a world that is diverse and inclusive.
In January, my journey continued as I participated in the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Short-Term Exchange European Politics Program in Munich, Berlin and Brussel. Whilst in Munich, I completed an Intermediate German Language Certificate. The highlight of my language course consisted of my teacher dropping us off at Marienplatz, the central square in the city centre of Munich, where he assigned us the task of interviewing strangers in German. It was exciting to witness how much my peers and I had improved in German and how confident we all were.
During the European Politics Program, I developed my understanding of the European Union (“EU”), the EU's relations with other regions of the world, and current overarching crisis phenomena in the EU: the EU's sovereign debt crisis, migration crisis, Brexit, and issues in transatlantic relations. The program concluded in Brussel, where we were rewarded with guided tours of large European institutions. Visiting the European Parliament was inspiring, both as an EU citizen myself and as it brought all that I recently learnt about EU negotiations and policy making together.
Soon after, in February, I found myself attending, as a QUT Law delegate, the 2020 Peace Summit of Emerging Leaders at the United Nations, Bangkok! Not only did I learn from the keynote speakers, I took this opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations with the other 347 delegates from 55 countries. The highlight of this conference was the ReliefWeb Pathways for Peace Challenge where we engaged, as part of a multi-national team, in diplomatic peace building negotiations to solve the problem posed. I had the honour of representing Japan’s best interest during the challenge and being elected by my team to speak before the general assembly. I have since returned to Australia and look forward to sharing a message of universal and cultural harmony in my role as a 2020 Peace Ambassador.
Culture has always played a significant role in my personal identity. From being born in New Caledonia, to living in Australia for almost 13 years, to completing a 10-week exchange in Frankfurt at the age of 16, to living in Jakarta for a 6-weeks internship program - my personal identity has been shaped by an array of cultural and interpersonal interactions. One of my many life goals is to become a global citizen. I seek to understand the wider world and my place in it. As an aspiring global citizen, I value sharing experience in the hope that others will be inspired to become more involved with their my local, national and global community. Your first step may be to join QUT Women in Law.