Alumni Spotlight - David Leonard, BBA '10, MSc '13, PhD Candidate
September 09, 2013
Hailing from Perth, Western Australia, David Leonard has been a consistent presence at MU since 2008. He began as a student in our BBA program, continued on with a Master of Science in Sustainability Development, Management and Policy in 2011, and is now part of the inaugural cohort of the PhD in Business and Socioeconomic Studies. Dave shared with us his reasons for choosing MU back in 2007, and what’s keeping him here, year after year:
“I was in Austria without work or any German, having moved here because my girlfriend is Viennese. Studying at an English university sounded awesome. I’d been working in tourism as a tour guide and was attracted to tourism because people in the field of tourism are in a good frame of mind. They’re happy people looking for new experiences and it’s a great atmosphere in which to work. It may be unorthodox, but that was what ultimately led me to MU.
I decided to stay at MU for my MSc for a number of reasons. English is always a factor and there are a lot of choices, even in Austria, but I wanted to stay at MU because of the quality of the lecturers who I had come to know on a personal level and deeply respect. The MSc program was also a good fit for me because of my longstanding interest in environmental issues, and the program helped me to understand the importance of social considerations in achieving ecological goals. Other revelations included the idea of systems thinking as a means of connecting various ideas into more holistic models, as well as appreciating completely new areas such as the flaws in our monetary system, which may be responsible for our preoccupation with economic growth.
The more you know, the more you realize that you don’t know and, for me at least, the more you want to learn. I chose to apply for the new PhD program at MU because I loved the atmosphere in the university, but also saw it as a great opportunity to both study and work as a lecturer at the same time. The focus of my study was clearly to further my knowledge and contribution in the field of sustainability. Education is a major factor of sustainability, so I wanted the opportunity to impart my knowledge to the younger students at MU. I already have some experience as an English teacher, but it’s only been to very small groups so I’m looking forward to the transition to addressing bigger groups. I think it will be an advantage that I don’t know most of the people I’ll be teaching, since I won’t be teaching any courses to MSc students, which will make it much easier to maintain a level of professional detachment as I move to the other side of the desk.
I will be at MU for at least another four years. During this time, I hope to identify a specific area where I can make a valuable contribution, possibly as self-employed or working as part of a larger sustainability-focused organization. However, my respect for the field of academia means that I’d also be happy to continue to work in this area. Luckily, all of my experiences at MU have made these plans things that can be realized.”