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Bound for Oxford
Indigenous scholars make their mark on world stage .
By Eleanor Campbell
For Warumungu and Warlmanpa man Ethan Taylor , the opportunity to travel and study at one of the world ’ s oldest and most elite universities brings mixed emotions .
The 23-year-old Melbourne university honours student was born in a small country town in Western Australia .
He will soon fly to the UK to complete a Masters of Philosophy in Politics and Political Theory at Oxford University .
“ It ’ s a mixed reaction of being really excited that I ’ ve been able to gain this really incredible opportunity , but there ’ s a lot of sadness there ,” Ethan told Campus Review .
“ When you are from a family or community that is really fragile , perhaps in its health , you just don ’ t want to leave .
“ I know my family will do everything in their power over the next however many years to stay in touch with me and to make sure that I still feel supported even when I ’ m on the other side of the world .”
Ethan , alongside Kuku Yalanji woman Rebecca Beutel , was recently named as this year ’ s recipient of the annual Charles Perkins Scholarship .
The program offers postgraduate scholarships for Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander students to live and study
at some of the world ’ s best universities , including the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge .
Launched in 2009 , the scholarships were named in the memory of leader and activist Dr Charlie Perkins – one of the first Aboriginal students in Australia to graduate from university .
“ I couldn ’ t be prouder of Ethan and Rebecca ,” said Leila Smith , Indigenous Aurora Education Foundation chief executive .
“ They reflect a growing cohort of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scholars who are breaking the mould with innovative ideas about how their study will support them to contribute as a leader in their fields .” Since 2010 , 17 Indigenous Australians have graduated with degrees from Oxford and Cambridge as part of the Charles Perkins Scholarship program .
According to the Department of Education , Skills and Employment , overall Indigenous university enrolments rose from 7605 to 15,290 in bachelor degrees and 1285 to 3330 in postgraduate studies during this period .
Ethan was the first in his family to attend university and credits the support of his professors at Melbourne University ’ s philosophy faculty in encouraging him to strive for academic excellence .
“ All of my professors were just so welcoming , so warm , so inclusive ,” he says .
“ I felt like I had some of the best academics who took me under their wing ,
Aboriginal people have always been philosophers .
and I was always a pretty hard-working student .”
During his upcoming studies at Oxford , Ethan says he plans to connect with other First Nations students and academics .
He says he will strive to use his knowledge and experiences to interrogate philosophical and political theory to try and make academic disciplines serve Aboriginal people better .
“ Aboriginal people have always been philosophers , and we always will be ,” he says .
“ But there ’ s this hole in professional philosophy in that we don ’ t really have many , if any , Aboriginal people professionally employed to produce peer-reviewed philosophy in peer-reviewed journals .
“ I think that there ’ s going to be a challenge going to Oxford and decolonising a lot of professional philosophy , and trying to make a space where Aboriginal people feel as if they develop those philosophies into the kinds of sustained pieces of thought that Western philosophy really values .”
The 2022 Charles Perkins Scholarships were presented at a ceremony held in Canberra in August by the British High Commissioner to Australia , Vicki Treadell . ■
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