Award-winning Griffith University planning graduate Ethan Bowering is heading to England with a scholarship to one of the world’s oldest, most famous and prestigious universities.

The recipient of a Cambridge Australia A P Platt Scholarship, Ethan will join the University of Cambridge in October and spend the ensuing nine months completing a Master of Public Policy.

The course is aimed at students who wish to play a leading role in government and will provide Ethan with the interdisciplinary grounding in public policy theory and practice.

“This is such a great opportunity to work among a really close-knit group of students from around the world to gain the practical skills and experience necessary for my future career,” says Ethan, a Senior Policy Officer with the Commonwealth Department of the Environment in Canberra.

“I am particularly interested in working to address some of the pressing public policy challenges that are facing Australia — particularly within the areas of health and education, economic and climate change policy.

“I’d like to pursue a leadership role within the public service in Australia and I’m hoping my time at Cambridge will open a broader spectrum of opportunities and help me make a difference in public policy in the future.”

A recipient of Griffith’s University Medal, Sir Samuel Griffith Scholarship and the Prime Minister’s Australia Asia Endeavour Award, Ethan graduated in 2013 with a Bachelor of Urban and Environmental Planning (Honours) and Bachelor of Science (Environment).

He joined the Commonwealth Department of the Environment in February 2014, having previously interned with the United Nations Environment Program in China.

At the Planning Institute of Australia’s Awards for Planning Excellence 2014, Ethan won the Queensland Minister’s Town Planning Prize and the PIA’s final year student prize.

Throughout his time at Griffith, Ethan also attended the Australia China Emerging Leaders Dialogue in Beijing, the Prague Global Leadership Program and travelled to the 2012 United Nations Durban Climate Change Conference.

In partnership with the Griffith Honours College, Ethan also volunteered in Timor-Leste and Vietnam during his degree.

He recently returned to Queensland and represented Griffith University at the 2015 Asia Pacific Cities Summit Young Professionals Forum.

Interested in a career in planning? Information sessions and a student exhibition will run throughout Griffith University’s Open Day at the Nathan campus this Sunday (August 9) from 9am-2pm