Emmanuelle Dunn Lewis

CASS student ambassador, Emmanuelle Dunn Lewis has graduated from the Australian National University with a double degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics (PPE) / Arts. The Franco-Anglo speaker, has donated her time to various volunteering roles during her studies including acting as an arts representative and academic mentor at Wamburun Hall, making free educational videos for high school students with meriSTEM, and running mock interviews for migrants learning English at Navitas. She has also been involved in several clubs and societies, including the Rollerskating club, ANU Social Netball, National University Theatre Society, ANU Auslan Club and ANU Student Media – Woroni, working as a Senior Sub-Editor in 2023.

Having undertaken internships with the Alliance Française de Canberra (2021) and ANIP (Semester 1 2024) at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, her list of accomplishments continue. Additionally, Emmanuelle was the recipient of a Senior Resident scholarship at Wamburun Hall, 2022 and Kinloch Lodge, 2023. She has been awarded Exchange Grants (Ethel Tory Language Scholarship, CASS Undergraduate Student Exchange Travel Grant).

Emmanuelle has relished various opportunities to explore her passion for gender equality, particularly in international relations, and her love of languages.

“Combining my PPE degree in a double degree with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in French Language and Culture was the perfect way for me to do just that! It meant that I could complete two undergraduate degrees at the same time, with the same workload as a single degree, with just one year more of study. Studying French also nicely complemented my politics studies as it is one of the official languages of the United Nations. In fact, each year Advanced French students at ANU submit an essay for a Swiss Prize competition and have a chance to visit the Swiss Embassy for the award ceremony.”

Eager for independence and to meet other students, Emmanuelle chose to live on campus. “One of the best parts of living on campus is the convenience. The shops are within walking distance, and getting around with bikes is easy—the Canberra buses even have bike racks on the front if you want to ride a bit further. Black Mountain, the Arboretum, Mount Painter, and Lake Burley Griffin are right next to the ANU campus and great spots for walks. Canberra’s also a short drive from Namadgi National Park, which has some really nice day hikes,” she shares.

Her academic journey at ANU differed from what she anticipated. Commenting, “I didn’t expect to learn how to present information in different formats like policy briefs, posters, podcasts, theatre pieces, songs, and artworks. I really enjoyed making collages for a refugee politics course and thinking about how I could represent my ideas differently.”

Emmanuelle encourages future students to, “Plan out your degree! I really cannot stress it enough, especially if you are keen to do something like an exchange. But also plan in flexibility in case you change your mind or there are new courses you really want to take. I didn’t start off doing a minor in English, but I took one course, loved it, and rejigged my plan to include more. Also, read the weekly On Campus emails. They have information about the many free events, including conferences that happen all the time at ANU. A highlight was hearing the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark, speak.”

As Emmanuelle prepares to step into the next chapter of her life, her experiences at ANU have undoubtedly shaped her into a well-rounded, forward-thinking individual, ready to take on the world of international relations with passion and purpose. “I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities that I have had at ANU, both within and outside the classroom. I have had the chance to try things that I never would have imagined doing and met people from all over the world and I am excited to use what I have learned to give back to the wider community.”