Two TC Beirne School of Law students have been selected to take part in an eight-week internship program with politicians in the USA and leave for Washington DC in December.
Byron Hewson and Naomi Lim are two of 12 interns selected for the 2010 Uni-Capitol Internship Programme (UCWIP), designed to provide Australian students with unique access to the US political system through internship placement in congressional offices.
Bachelor of Economics/Bachelor of Laws student Byron Hewson, has been placed with Senator Christopher Dodd (Democrat of Connecticut).
Byron was motivated to apply for a place in the program because of his strong interest in the American political system.
“This experience will give me a greater insight into the American system and facilitate exposure to ideas and debate at the highest level.
"It will be fascinating to experience firsthand the formulation of US policies as well as the diverse personalities that occupy Congress.
"It’s an exciting time to be in Washington with the White House and Congress facing unprecedented challenges in their economic, domestic, environmental and foreign relations arenas,” he said.
Byron said his UQ studies in law and economics would be extremely useful for his placement.
“Senator Dodd is a senior Democrat and chairs the Senate Banking Committee, which oversees the American banking system, federal monetary policy and the Federal Reserve. This means part of my role will involve attending hearings and researching economic policy. The Senator is also deeply involved with foreign relations, which corresponds with my interest in international law and human rights law. I’m really looking forward to the academic, professional and personal development this program will provide.”
Bachelor of Journalism/Bachelor of Laws student Naomi Lim, has been placed with Representative John Tierney (Democrat of Massachusetts).
Naomi said for her the internship represented a key which could unlock the doors of Capitol Hill, the current political, economic and cultural epicentre of the western world.
“Interning with US Congress for eight weeks will expose me to so many academic, professional and cultural opportunities and will enrich my theoretical knowledge of government and politics with practical experience on an international stage. Washington D.C. is a place undergoing and instigating so much change around the United States and the world – I want to experience that change firsthand and learn what I can from it.
“ I particularly wanted to intern with Rep. Tierney because I was not only impressed by his record as a member of the House of Representatives for the Sixth Congressional District of Massachusetts, but also by the reputation of his office, in particular his press secretary. During my internship, I will be undertaking administrative and substantive duties including attending hearings, briefings and press conferences on and off Capitol Hill, as well as constituent liaison and legislative research.”
Eight Australian universities take part in the UCWIP. Since the program has been available at UQ, the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (SBS) has overseen the recruitment and recommendation of potential candidates.
Students are drawn from many academic disciplines to be matched with congressional offices and as well as providing support to interns undertaking the program each year, SBS also provides advice to students who are interested in participating in the program.
The Uni-Capitol Washington Internship Program started in 1999 with the aim of offering Australian students unique access to the US political system through internships in Washington DC.
The success of program is credited to the commitment of the many individuals involved towards enhancing American-Australian relationships and the underlying principle of UCWIP Director, Mr Eric Federing, to “Match Good People with Good People in Good Places”. More information can be found on the UCWIP website.
Media: Lynda Flower at UQ’s School of Law (07 3365 2523, l.flower@law.uq.edu.au)
Byron Hewson (0410 137 037) or Naomi Lim (0408 714 756)
