Two scholarships at different ends of the tertiary education spectrum are funded by Raewyn Dalziel, Emeritus Professor of History and former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at the University of Auckland, to enable students to pursue study in humanities and social sciences.
The Keith Sinclair Memorial Scholarship was established in the mid-1990s for PhD students undertaking study in the history of New Zealand. The Ellen Castle Undergraduate Scholarship was established last year and assists school leavers from decile 1-3 schools who have the potential to succeed at university and require financial assistance to undertake a Bachelor of Arts in the Schools of Humanities and/or Social Sciences.
These two very different scholarships emerged from two very different contexts for tertiary education in New Zealand. One addressed the need for more PhDs in New Zealand history, and the other addresses the financial difficulties students from low decile schools face in accessing tertiary education.
In the mid-1990s, when the PhD scholarship was established to commemorate the contribution made to the study of New Zealand history by Professor Sir Keith Sinclair, support for history students choosing to undertake doctoral study in New Zealand was limited. The Faculty of Arts and the Department of History were keen to provide opportunities for advanced study which would further develop our historical knowledge and build a doctoral programme.
The Keith Sinclair Memorial Scholarship was established partly through an initial fundraising by the History Department, and is now an endowment, meaning it is self-sustaining in perpetuity.
Dr Marianne Schultz, who held the scholarship from 2012–2013, felt an “immense pride” in this recognition of her study in New Zealand history, and honoured to be associated with such a great New Zealand historian. Since graduation she has secured a contract to revise her thesis on performing arts history and the development of cultural hybridity in New Zealand into a monograph with international publisher Palgrave Macmillan.
The Ellen Castle Undergraduate Scholarship was established last year and is named in honour of Professor Dalziel’s mother. Raewyn explained that her mother, although she did not advance beyond primary school, had always engaged with the local primary and secondary schools and supported her aim to go to University.
With the increasing costs of tertiary study, Raewyn established this scholarship to give bright students from low decile schools the opportunity to study a discipline they are really interested in and which might open all sorts of surprising doors, as the study of history had done for her.
For Raewyn, we have a responsibility to assist students who have the desire and ability to study at a university to fulfil their aspirations. She argues that this is especially important for students who want to take an Arts degree. The Humanities and Social Sciences contain incredible intellectual riches and open a world of understanding and experience which can equip young people with powerful tools for their future lives.
Philanthropy can open access to tertiary education and have a transformative impact on students. Former staff, alumni and friends of the University like Raewyn feel strongly about students being able to access Arts education – for the benefit of the students themselves and the wider community.
Find out more about supporting the Faculty of Arts
Find out more about the Keith Sinclair Memorial Scholarship
Find out more about the Ellen Castle Undergraduate Scholarship
