8 ] September 13-14, 2014 The Weekend Australian

Getting a grip on international trade

Murray Bunton

AS the Sydney-based director of graphic design group, Agency, Murray Bunton may seem an unlikely candidate for Monash University’s masters of diplomacy and trade program. Yet with a business focused solely on projects aiming to achieve universal human rights and equality, Bunton says it made sense for him to pursue a higher degree in a field so relevant to his client base.

“Agency was founded in 2005 and has grown from a very small enterprise to a company with 14 staff, an office in Sydney and another one soon to open in New York,” says Benton.

“Because we wanted to take on more social change projects, in 2011 we signed a charter committing to only work on projects focused on human development and equal rights.” The move has seen Agency extend its client base to include Greenpeace, World Vision, WWF and even the United Nations.

Bunton says doing the masters enabled him to combine a professional area of interest with a personal passion for learning.

“I have always valued the process of formal study. On top of that, I wanted to understand more about injustices our clients fight. We talk constantly about creating a more just and equitable world with the people we collaborate with, and the course broadened my understanding of the international issues facing people in poverty.”

Bunton says he chose Monash because he wanted a Group of Eight (sandstone) university and also because he could complete the course online. At the end of his coursework he was invited to complete a research project and travelled to Kenya to investigate the way global trade agreements impact some of the world’s poorest coffee farmers.

“The world of international trade is certainly not a level playing field and I’ve seen that first hand. I hope Agency’s work can help change that.”

Griffith University

Postgraduate programs in personal injury management

Personal injury management is a major industry in Australia with an estimated value of more than $50 billion across the various workers’ compensation and motor accident insurance schemes and is expected to grow dramatically with the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
There are many reasons to consider choosing a postgraduate program in personal industry management, such as excellent career progression, and remuneration and benefts; however,
we believe that the greatest reward is the ability to make a difference. Developed by the Personal Injury Education Foundation (PIEF) in conjunction with Griffth University, the personal injury management postgraduate program provides a unique learning experience as academics work in close consultation with industry experts to provide students with current and relevant learnings about the industry.

Make a difference

For further information visit
pief.com.au/index.php/education/postgraduatecourses