MATTHEW TILLEARD

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2009 Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship

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“The greatest challenge of my generation is the elimination of absolute poverty. I am optimistic that in most of the world this is rapidly occurring.”

Matthew Tilleard, an advisor to a private sector development NGO in Afghanistan has won a Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship to undertake research at Harvard University. The Fulbright Scholarship will cover the first year of his study at Harvard. Matthew’s research aims to find ways to improve economic development for poor communities and nations.

“When I return to Australia I will seek a role working for communities facing barriers to development in Australia or our immediate region. I aspire to serve in a leadership role potentially through public service or through an independent social venture,” Matthew said.

“Specifically I hope to work with indigenous Australia or in the arc of fragile Pacific states surrounding our nation. My objective will be to empower the political, social and corporate entrepreneurs in these communities to deliver sustainable change.”

To prepare himself for this role he proposes to undertake a Masters of Business Administration from Harvard Business School in conjunction with a Masters of Public Policy from Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

“This holistic combination, combined with my previous experience will position me to be a leader in creating innovative private sector and public policy solutions which remove barriers to development.”

Matthew said that he has chosen the USA as it is the centre of global innovation and entrepreneurship.

“This is not a function of America’s economic size but its culture. I am seeking to immerse myself in that culture. The faculty at HBS and KSG represents perhaps the greatest concentration of the world’s best thinkers on entrepreneurship and development. The case study method, the core of HBS’s teaching method, will best prepare me for leadership.”

Matthew is a graduate of The University of Melbourne with Bachelors of Law (Hons) and Science. After graduating he worked for two and a half years as an Associate at The Boston Consulting Group in Melbourne. He then worked for a year in Indigenous policy as an Advisor at the Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership. He has won various awards including the Lexis-Nexis Prize in Law, John Madden Exhibition Prize in Law and the 2008 Future Summit Leadership Award for emerging leaders.