After two gruelling rounds of interviews, Robert Mullins is off to Oxford on a prestigious Australia-at-Large Rhodes Scholarship.
Mr Mullins, who completed an Honours degree in English Literature in 2006, and will graduate with a Bachelor of Laws in June this year, is the second applicant from The University of Queensland to be named a 2008 Rhodes Scholar.
In September Mr Mullins will join fellow UQ Arts/Law graduate Anna Kloeden at Oxford University, and will undertake a Master of Studies in English Literature.
"I'm excited about the opportunity, but also a bit nervous," Mr Mullins said.
"The reality of leaving family and friends is quite daunting."
Mr Mullins said that, while he had always intended to submit a Rhodes Scholar application at some stage, he hadn't planned on applying in 2008 until noticing advertisements around the St Lucia campus.
Despite having to impress a tough selection panel - twice - it was a "spur of the moment" decision which paid off.
"The interview was tough; they drill you in the nicest possible way," Mr Mullins said.
"You can't just go in there with your own pitch.
"You have to be able to respond on a range of topics, from politics to individual aspirations to sporting achievements.
"In my interview they asked a bit about my volunteer work - I was Regional Youth Coordinator with St Vincent de Paul during 2004-2005 and helped to start a large refugee tutoring program for university students."
Candidates for the Rhodes Scholarship must apply in their home state in the first instance, but, if after the state winner has been announced the panel feels one or two runners-up are of sufficient merit, they will be nominated to go to Canberra for an interview with the Australia-at-Large Committee.
With Ms Kloeden named Queensland Rhodes Scholar in September, Mr Mullins had to impress the Canberra judges in order to secure his Oxford enrolment.
Mr Mullins said he hoped to pursue a career in academia, and was particularly interested in teaching and promoting Australian literature.
"I think the next year or so will provide an opportunity to see if I'm suited to an academic career within the Australian literary community," he said.
Mr Mullins is the second UQ Rhodes Scholar in recent years to have studied within the University’s School of English, Media Studies and Art History.
The other was 2006 Queensland Rhodes Scholarship recipient Nicholas Luke, who is also studying literature at Oxford.
Background to Rhodes Scholarships:
Rhodes Scholarships, founded in 1902 under the will of the late Cecil John Rhodes, are tenable at the University of Oxford for an initial two years, with the possibility of a third. Candidates must be aged between 19 and 25 years and be citizens of the country from which they are selected.
Scholarships are assigned annually in Australia, Canada, India, Jamaica, New Zealand, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, the United States, Germany, British Caribbean, Malaysia, Singapore, Pakistan, Kenya and Hong Kong.
Since the scheme began, more than 500 Australian Rhodes Scholars have been selected. Women became eligible in 1972.
The first Rhodes Scholarship awarded in Queensland was in 1904 by Arthur Stanley Roe, five years before an Act of Parliament was passed to set up The University of Queensland.
The qualities set out by the late Cecil Rhodes for those seeking Rhodes Scholarships include academic and intellectual excellence, integrity of character, respect for fellow beings and a capacity for leadership. Sporting prowess is an advantage, but not a necessity.
Media inquires: Penny Robinson at UQ Communications (3365 9723, penny.robinson@uq.edu.au)
