kenneth mayer
2006 ANU Distinguished Chair
“Being a Fulbright was a profoundly illuminating experience for me, on both personal and professional levels. I was not an experienced traveller, and apart from two brief trips to Europe had never been abroad. Living and working in Australia offered an opportunity for adventure, a chance to integrate into a new culture, and a vantage point from which I could observe a free and democratic political system from an entirely new perspective.”
Ken Mayer was the 2007 Australian National University (ANU) Distinguished Chair and used the opportunity not only to take up this research appointment in Canberra, but to bring his family along to experience a new lifestyle and culture.
It was with some reservation that Ken decided to uproot his family to join him in Australia, however it is a decision he does not regret.
“From a personal standpoint, my family and I had the experience of a lifetime. We enjoyed the spectacular variation and beauty of Australia, and did so many new things that we lost count. Learning how to live in a new country presents a challenge – despite the similarities between Australia and the U.S. – but also gave us all a sense of accomplishment and confidence.”
“I feel as if we have all crossed a threshold, and as a result will find it much easier to continue our travels around the world. We all forged friendships that will last a lifetime, and my children will be telling their grandchildren about the trip, 60 years from now.”
During his research appointment as the inaugural ANU-Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Political Science, Ken studied election finance and the constitutional foundation of executive power in Australia. He also gave a series of public lectures around the country, in both academic and public settings, in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney on the topics of election administration in the U.S. and comparative executive powers.
“The experience has been invaluable. I have a deeper understanding of American political processes, a better sense of what the United States looks like from the outside (as opposed to what the world looks like from the inside), and an appreciation of how other stable democratic system operate.”
“The Fulbright connection was crucial in opening doors and giving me access to decision makers and officials. I developed relationships with U.S. embassy staff, officials in the U.S. Interests Section in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, members of the Australian Fulbright Commission, and scholars throughout the country.”
Ken’s advice to anyone about to embark on their own Fulbright experience is: “Go with an open mind, be prepared to absorb as much as you can, and spend your time talking to people rather than poring over books in the library.”