We had a great response to the Global Leadership Practices Program opportunity in 2019. We received 38 solid applications from Churchill Fellows working across many different fields and being awarded their Fellowship from as early as 1978.
It was inspiring to read about the impact Churchill Fellows have made in their respective fields since going on their Fellowships and reaffirming to see Fellows continuing to strive with passion and dedication in the work they do.
We are pleased to announce that Stephen Geason (2015) and Sam Bayley (2013) are the two Fellows who have been selected to take part in the Global Leadership Practices (GLP) Program in 2019.
This program will give them the opportunity to travel to India and China with a diverse cohort of professionals, public servants and community leaders with the aim of coming away with a richer, more balanced perspective and privileged insight into how these countries work.
Sam Bayley (2013)
Sam works in the role of Karajarri Indigenous Protected Area Coordinator for the Kimberley Land Council (KLC) in Western Australia. He was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 2013 to investigate key factors that enable Indigenous communities to successfully manage natural resources and increase social capital.
Since going on his Fellowship, Sam has been disseminating and implementing his findings within the KLC, universities, local police, churches and schools. Sam has been involved in establishing a women’s ranger program which now employs 5 women. This initiative has established new role models and career opportunities for women living in communities. Sam has also been involved in developing partnerships with multiple stakeholders (e.g. Ernst and Young and Tourism WA) for strategic land acquisition leading to development of a tourism, cultural and ranger hub to generate income and protect landscapes.
The GLP Program offers immense value for Sam and the community he serves in the not for profit indigenous conservation sector. The organisations he works for service large areas of land (423,527 km2) across multiple jurisdictions, tenure and communities. They service thousands of people who are socially and geographically isolated. The importance of global leadership is essential to help change lives and improve opportunity in this sector. Sam hopes that this program will increase his exposure to innovative solutions to mitigate social inequities within indigenous communities (that are not being addressed through current government policies). Travelling to developing countries and being exposed to cross cultural environments will highlight different approaches and solutions to long standing problems.
“I am very excited by this opportunity. I will be ready to interact with others, to listen, learn, question and collaborate. I look forward to representing the Churchill Trust, my organisation, industry and Australia with gusto and integrity.”
Stephen Geason
Stephen Geason from Hobart is Architect/Director of Cykel Architecture and a 2015 Churchill Fellow whose Fellowship aim was to conduct meaningful research into aged care facilities which will assist in designing for dementia.
Since undertaking his Fellowship, Stephen has implemented his findings through his involvement with the Wicking Dementia Research Centre at the University of Tasmania, contributing to the Understanding Dementia MOOC (Massive Online Open Course). Stephen has been engaging with executives in the aged care sector to educate them on the importance of considered design for people with dementia. Through this, Stephen has secured multiple projects, which range from the refurbishments of a 12-bedroom memory wing through to major new capital developments such as Korongee – a cutting-edge facility in Gelnorchy in Hobart’s north designed specifically for residents with dementia, due for completion 2020 – the first of its kind in Australia.
Stephen asserts that it is vital to have an understanding of global leadership in the context of design for dementia to ensure all Australian communities are inclusive and friendly for people with dementia. Global leadership also creates a position for understanding international trends for design in dementia acknowledging Japan, Scandinavia and the Netherlands.
Stephen sees that the GLP Program will further the initial learnings from his Fellowship, in a different context and setting. China has one of the world’s largest populations of people with dementia, and policy makers in China have been advised to make dementia a national health priority and to develop a strategic nationwide plan. Shanghai is at the forefront of tackling aging issues in China.
The current Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety has identified that current systems continue to fail and dementia must be a priority moving into the future. Understanding how a country like China is tackling this issue will assist Australia to develop an appropriate and informed design strategy.