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Praise for Ramsay Scholars at fifth annual dinner

Australian Catholic University has celebrated its fifth year hosting the unique Western Civilisation program of undergraduate and postgraduate liberal arts degrees.

The celebration on 30 October 2025 marked another successful year of the program. ACU Ramsay Scholars, including the current fifth cohort of 41 students, came together with their world-class lecturers and members of the Ramsay Centre executives and board.

The annual ACU Ramsay Scholars Dinner was hosted by Western Civilisation program director Professor Peter Anstey. Also in attendance were ACU Provost and Deputy-Vice Chancellor Professor Julie Cogin and the program's academic staff.

The Ramsay Centre was represented by Chairman Allan Myers AC, KC, CEO Dr Martin Fahy, Academic Director Professor Diana Glenn and distinguished members of the board.

Guests also extended their congratulations to 23 scholars currently at ACU's Rome Campus for their study abroad experience afforded by the program.

Following the tradition of previous years, the artistic talents of students was a focal point of the evening and featured solo performances by Josephine Reynolds and 'otherworldly' sacred chants by members of the St Cosmas the Melodist Eparchial School of Byzantine Music including Ramsay Scholar Paul Hanna.

ACU Ramsay Scholar Anastazia Pincevic shared her personal undergraduate experience, from living and breathing the pages of The Great Books, to the necessity to use their knowledge beyond the classroom to transform the world.

"The call before us, therefore, is not to hoard what we've learned but to be agents of transformation in whatever sphere we enter," Anastazia said.

"We must ask the harder questions, uphold the unpopular truth, and extend dignity to those the world overlooks.

"This is what it means to be a Ramsay Scholar: not simply to know the great tradition, but to extend it, to live it, and to pass it on - renewed, enlivened, and made flesh in our own generation."

Former banker turned Ramsay Scholar David Nathanson who is among the first cohort to study the new Master of Liberal Arts, told the audience about his course highlights, including the opportunity to support a liberal arts program inside a Sydney prison.

"One of the enduring experiences for me of this last year has been participating, along with classmate Andy Scarano, as a teaching assistant in ACU's Clemente Program - which is designed to take humanities education out of the university and directly into disadvantaged communities," David said.

"To give you a flavour for what that was like, just try this head-spinning thought experiment: imagine [Associate] Professor Andy Poe engaging in a spirited Socratic dialogue with a group of inmates at Parklea Prison, on the topic of Plato's theory of justice."

David also reflected on the positive learning and teaching culture within the Western Civilisation course.

"Never have I felt the need to self-censor my ideas in a class discussion; never have I heard a speaker being heckled; never have I adjusted my work to conform to the perceived ideological leanings of a teacher; and as a Jewish student, never have I felt any animosity directed my way, nor any wish to hide my background."

Dr Fahy in his address to the Ramsay scholars challenged them to realise the late Paul Ramsay's vision of giving back to the community from the riches of the intellectual formation that they are undergoing as a result of their participation in the ACU Western Civilisation program.

Professor Cogin said the 2025 cohort had succeeded in many academic and community endeavours, including reaching the semi-finals of the Sydney Archbishop's Debating Cup for the first time.

Two scholars established an academic journal for publishing exemplar essays from their Western Civilisation program peers, one Masters graduate published his first novel and a current Masters student co-authored a book with her father.

Another Ramsay Scholar captained the Australia team that competed in the World U21 Canoe Polo Championships, while another postgraduate student was called to the bar.

"These impressive achievements demonstrate how ACU's Western Civilisation program cultivates not just academic excellence, but real-world impact," Professor Cogin said.

"The bright individuals who participate in this program are indeed fortunate to spend time in an academic environment that encourages such thorough engagement with the major works of the Western intellectual tradition, as they gain a deeper understanding of Western culture."

The 2025 Ramsay Scholars dinner was the largest since ACU commenced the Western Civilisation program.

Since launching in 2021, more than 150 undergraduate and postgraduate students have joined ACU's Western Civilisation program on Ramsay Scholarships.

The Ramsay Centre and ACU entered a partnership in 2020 worth an estimated $50 million over eight years.

The partnership enables ACU to offer scholarships and attract top educators in the liberal arts. Each ACU Ramsay Scholarship is worth $32,000 p.a. for up to five years.

Funding includes a study abroad experience where students can choose to study at ACU's Rome campus.

Visit ACU's Western Civilisation Program page for more information