The Governor-General has announced three recipients of 2017 Rhodes Scholarships, which will support their post-graduate study at Oxford and nurture them as public-spirited leaders for the world's future.
Chris McIntyre received a Bachelor of Science with Honours from Victoria in 2015. His family has a long connection with education at Victoria—his mother Dr Robin Averill is a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Education, and Mr McIntyre’s grandfather, Professor Bob Averill, was appointed as Professor of Physiology in 1971 to ‘found a physiology department strong in research’. Professor Averill held various roles at Victoria including Dean of Science, and became an Emeritus Professor in 1995 after his retirement. Chris’s two aunts also studied at Victoria’s Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music.
Chris, who attended Newlands College before studying at Victoria, works as an Associate for the Boston Consulting Group in Sydney. He also volunteers for 180 Degree Consulting, the world’s largest consultancy for non-profits and social enterprises.
At Oxford, Chris plans to study for a Master of Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government, focusing on the changing nature of public service provision and the future need for greater coordination between the public and private sectors to manage supply and meet policy outcomes. Chris is a talented basketballer, having played for the Saints in the national men’s league, and also plays the guitar.
“Victoria is extremely proud of Chris’ success in gaining such a prestigious scholarship. Victoria’s recent success in gaining a high number of prestigious international research scholarships is testament to the quality of our students and their potential for high quality research,” says Vice-Provost (Research) Professor Kate McGrath.
In announcing the 2017 scholars, the Governor-General Rt Hon Dame Patsy Reddy, who chairs the selection panel, welcomed the opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the leadership, scholarship and achievement of the candidates for Rhodes Scholarships.
“They work incredibly hard to reach the high standards expected of our Rhodes Scholars. Whatever the outcome of the interview process, they have shown that they have what it takes to make a worthwhile contribution to their field of study.
“Together with the Panel, we warmly congratulate the 2017 scholars. We will follow their careers and progress with great interest.”
The Rhodes is the oldest international scholarship programme, and is awarded to up to 95 students from over 30 countries, including up to three students from New Zealand, each year. The vision, when the scholarship was established over 100 years ago, was to develop outstanding leaders with the commitment to make a positive difference, the potential to become leaders for the world’s future, and the desire to promote international peace and understanding.
The Scholarship covers the students’ fees, accommodation and living costs for up to three years at Oxford, which is one of the oldest and top-ranked universities in the world.