Salonie Dua

Salonie is grateful for finding her dream job as a campaigner with Change.org in Australia straight after graduation. “I love working for Change.org because I get to work for social justice. I help bridge the gap that inevitably arises in democracies between what citizens want and what the government is doing. I get to support citizens to become leaders in their communities. I love my job and get to work with a fantastic team of caring, passionate and brilliant people”.

Salonie Dua always had a keen interest in social justice. To work in the sector, she felt she needed to understand the world, which decisions shape it and how those decisions come about.

Her undergraduate degree in Economics (Honours) in Delhi, India helped her to expand her awareness. "To grasp the whole picture, I realised I needed to understand the politics of the global order which is why I decided to pursue the Master of International Relations (MIR). I chose The Australian National University (ANU) as it was highly ranked among global universities".

In her first semester, Salonie received an opportunity from the Coral Bell School to attend the Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA) National Conference in Canberra where she was able to network with scholars from various universities. “I additionally did an internship with The Settlement Council, the national peak body that oversees Australia’s settlement sector, which was a great opportunity to put my research skills into practice”.

Salonie has learnt new skills in every part of her life. Living away from home for the first time taught her how to live independently. The university expanded her understanding of the world in interacting with people from all over the globe with diverse life journeys.

In volunteering and working part-time with different organisations and NGOs, I explored the social sector of Australia which gave me a deeper understanding of Australian culture. In doing all this, I learnt the valuable skill of time management.

Salonie enjoyed the student experience. “Studying a Master degree is not just about attending classes, seminars and doing assignments. I was able to do so much more – work casually, do an internship, and travel to new places with friends”.

Salonie’s favourite course in the Master of International Relations program was ‘Ethics of War and Peace’ taught by Luke Glanville. “I loved everything about the course, the syllabus, the way Luke taught it, and most of all the amazing discussions we had. We talked about an array of fascinating topics including morality of war of putting civilians’ lives in danger for the state. I enjoyed the intellectually stimulating environment that forced me to think, to form an opinion and then defend it in front of a large group”.

Salonie is grateful for finding her dream job as a campaigner with Change.org in Australia straight after graduation. “I love working for Change.org because I get to work for social justice. I help bridge the gap that inevitably arises in democracies between what citizens want and what the government is doing. I get to support citizens to become leaders in their communities. I love my job and get to work with a fantastic team of caring, passionate and brilliant people”.