School of History’s Minoru Hokari Memorial Scholarship expanded to $5,000
Minoru Hokari (inset) and ANU researchers in remote central Australia
An Australian National University scholarship for students conducting fieldwork in remote Indigenous communities has been boosted to $5,000 a year from $3,000, thanks to a group effort.
The Minoru Hokari Memorial Scholarship honours Minoru Hokari (1971-2004), a ground-breaking scholar who left Japan for the ANU and worked in remote locations with Australia’s Gurindji people.
It’s open to anyone currently enrolled at any Australian university who is undertaking a PhD, or those who’ve graduated in the past three years.
Yuki Hokari, Minoru’s sister, says the trustees have reached their fundraising goal, which means the scholarship can be once again be $5,000 a year. She has carried on Minoru’s legacy, including by selling knit-ware designs inspired by the Gurindji people, with proceeds donated to the scholarship.
Professor Ann McGrath, Director of the Australian Centre for Indigenous History, says boosting the scholarship’s base has taken many years of work.
“It’s a great achievement that’s involved the painstaking and endlessly creative work of Yuki and the warm generosity of Mino’s family, friends and many ANU Alumni who have been regular donors,” she says.
The scholarship provides support for students wishing to consult and undertake face-to-face research in urban, regional or remote locations.