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Cambridge Gates open for Joan

31 May 2006

Monash engineering graduate Ms Joan Ko has been offered a prestigious scholarship to study at the University of Cambridge in the UK.

Ms Ko, who graduated with a Bachelor of Environmental Engineering in 2004, will study for her masters under a Gates Scholarship, established by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000 to enable outstanding graduates to study at Cambridge.

About 100 scholarships are offered annually to students undertaking postgraduate study for one to four years.

Ms Ko is the first Monash graduate to be awarded a Gates Scholarship and will use it to obtain a masters degree in engineering for sustainable development.

"The masters is a practice-oriented qualification aimed at engineers with a few years experience," she said. "The course has been developed with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the USA, so I'll be taking advantage of knowledge and experience from all over the world.

   Engineering graduate Ms Joan Ko is the first Monash graduate to be offered a Gates Scholarship to study at the University of Cambridge in the UK.
Engineering graduate Ms Joan Ko is the first Monash graduate to be offered a Gates Scholarship to study at the University of Cambridge in the UK.

"My technical background is engineering, but I am interested in environmental conflicts. I want to use my time at Cambridge to improve my ability to bridge the gap between engineering and development plans and community concerns about such proposals.

It is very frustrating for engineers and scientists sometimes when we feel we are not getting our message across, and the community feels it is not being heard. There is a gap in such specific negotiation skills in Australia, and I hope one day to work in that field here."

Ms Ko, who studied at Monash as an Engineering Dean's Scholar, won the Transurban Excellence in Engineering Award in 2004.

She is currently employed by the engineering and professional services consultancy GHD.

Ms Ko leaves for Cambridge in September for the commencement of the academic year in October.