Exceptional Minds.National Leadership.

Across more than half a century, Menzies Scholars have gone on to shape law, economics, science and public life in Australia and beyond. A few examples:

International justice and governance

Hilary Charlesworth (1982) studied at Harvard Law School and became a scholar of international law and human rights. As at October 2026 she is a Judge of the International Court of Justice. Andrew Byrnes (1983) is Emeritus Professor of International Law and Human Rights at UNSW Sydney, and Kim Rubenstein (1991) is a professor at the University of Canberra whose research centres on citizenship law.

Economics and public administration

Glenn Withers (1970) completed a PhD in Business Economics at Harvard and was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for services to applied economics, including for design of the Australian immigration points system. Michael Hiscox (1990) was the founding Director of the Behavioural Economics Team of the Australian Government (BETA) from 2015 to 2017.

Science and technology

Tracy Slatyer (2006) completed her PhD in physics at Harvard and, as at October 2026, is Professor of Physics at MIT, where she researches dark matter. Maja Cassidy (2008) completed a PhD in applied physics and, as at October 2026, is a Senior Lecturer at UNSW Sydney developing technologies for future quantum computing and sensor systems.

Humanitarian design

Esther Charlesworth (1993) studied at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and went on to found Architects without Frontiers, which delivers health, education and community infrastructure for vulnerable communities around the world.

The Menzies Scholarship recognises more than academic achievement. Three ideals run through its history:

• Service to the public good. Scholars treat their expertise as a means of advancing society, whether by defending human rights, improving health or shaping better public policy.
• Intellectual courage. The scholarship values people willing to challenge received wisdom and build new ideas in science, law and public life.
• Global collaboration. By linking Australia with Harvard, the scholarship builds a lasting international network of people working on hard, shared problems.