June 26, 2019

UOW students to present at THE Young Universities Summit

Brodie Knox and Ella Mathews-O’Brien to share Digital Stories on how universities can embrace risk, create opportunity

Brodie Knox is a student of history. All his heroes are derived from generations past. For the University of Wollongong (UOW) undergraduate student, it is only through an understanding of the past that we can offer solutions to our current and future problems.

Ella Mathews-O’Brien is a mathematics star with a deeply ingrained love for visual arts. She is a painter, drawer, creator and animator who is also able to solve incredibly complex equations. The two interests may seem, at first, to be diametrically opposed, but Ella said each actually complement the other.

Brodie and Ella, who are both in their first semester at UOW, seem to differ on the surface, but they share an interest in and passion for creating a brighter future for their generation. And they both believe that begins with education.

They will represent UOW at the Times Higher Education Young Universities Summit in England this month, where they will deliver their thoughts on the future of universities.

It is an incredible opportunity for Brodie and Ella, who were the winners of a Digital Story competition at UOW earlier in the year.

The competition required them to put together a Digital Story on their path to university and their passions under the theme of Embracing Risk, Creating Opportunity, the theme of the summit. Their prize was the chance to present at the summit.

Ella’s video was a quirky look at how, despite her visual arts background, she chose to study mathematics.

“I wasn’t interested in maths at first, but my teacher saw my potential and encouraged me to study maths extension in years 11 and 12,” she said. “It was at the same time as visual arts so I had to choose between the two.

“Since I’ve come to university, I’ve really embraced STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics] and I’ve realised how much art and maths connect. STEM has helped me to embrace my creative thinking.”

UOW students Brodie Knox and Ella Mathews-O'Brien. Photo: Paul Jones

During her time at the Times Higher Education Young Universities Summit, she will be creating and then presenting a Digital Story on the potential risks of digital learning.

Brodie, who is studying a Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics, said his interest in history was borne from a childhood spent travelling the world, living first in Singapore and then Dubai.

“I’m a history nerd. I’ve always loved the stories of the people who have changed the world,” he said. “Whether we like it or not, our generations have inherited the successes and the failures of the generations that have preceded us.

“That’s why I chose Politics, Philosophy and Economics. It gave me the chance to study everything that I’m interested in. I’m really passionate about this degree and about how it will benefit me in the future.”

During the summit, Brodie’s Digital Story will focus on what students want and think about when it comes to academic freedom and co-curricular activities on campus.

Both Ella and Brodie are thrilled to be taking part in the summit, just one semester into their university experience. They were also involved in 2018 UOW Summer Masterclass Program.

“I was very shocked when I won the chance to go,” Brodie said. “I think they must have recognised how passionate I am about history and how that connects to my degree.”

“I’m really looking forward to being on the ground at the summit and collaborating with the other students from the University of Surrey,” Ella added.

The University of Wollongong is sponsoring the Times Higher Education Young Universities Summit alongside the University of Surrey. It will run from today (26 June) to the 28 June in Guildford, United Kingdom.

UOW and the University of Surrey are part of the University Global Partnership Network, an international collaboration for staff and students that also includes the Universidade de São Paulo in Brazil and North Carolina State University. 

Story: India Glyde

Photos: Paul Jones