OUR FELLOWS

Zachary Hall is a policy officer with a passion for foreign policy’s power to improve lives and strengthen democratic resilience. He grew up in a multicultural neighbourhood and has been active in youth leadership, particularly within Muslim communities.

 

Zach has worked across economic, climate, and infrastructure policy in the Australian Public Service, and previously supported trade and diplomatic engagement at the Indonesian and Moroccan foreign missions. He holds a Bachelor of Economics and is currently undertaking a Master of International and Development Economics from the Australian National University.

Chelsea Golding is an undergraduate at the University of Queensland, pursuing a dual Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts. Driven by a passion for impactful, interdisciplinary solutions her work bridges science and policy, with a focus on sustainable ocean governance.

Chelsea has conducted policy research on offshore wind development in Australia, contributed to marine spatial planning studies, and drafted environmental legislation. Her international field and research experience spans Australia, Malta, and the Philippines, ranging from marine animal studies and coastal habitat monitoring to regulatory reviews and community-based marine policy evaluations.

As UQU’s Environmental Officer, Chelsea co-founded the Environmental Collective column and led campus sustainability initiatives. She has worked across government and research sectors and is especially interested in environmental justice and climate resilience in the Indo-Pacific.

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Young Australians in International Affairs is proud to partner with the Sydney Environment Institute at the University of Sydney as our Climate and Environment Fellow Sponsor. 

Lachie Macfarlan is a final-year student at the Australian National University, where he studies a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) specialising in International & Comparative Law, and a Bachelor of International Security Studies.

 

Lachie has recently returned from a year in Vienna – spending six months on academic exchange studying international law at University of Vienna, and six months working on multilateral policy full-time at Australia’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations (Vienna). He also has experience in the Australian Public Service, in the not-for-profit sector with Amnesty International, and the Embassy of El Salvador in Australia.

 

Through this fellowship, Lachie hopes to provide accessible commentary on intra-European dynamics and Europe’s evolving role in the international system, aiming to connect European developments and experiences with Australian foreign policy debates.

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Young Australians in International Affairs is excited to partner with the Centre for Deliberative Democracy at the University of Canberra as our Europe & Eurasia Fellow Sponsor. 

Federico is completing his final year of a Bachelor of Arts and Advanced Studies in International and Global Studies at the University of Sydney, majoring in Spanish and Latin American Studies.

 

Born in Australia to Venezuelan parents, Federico's interest in Latin America stems from his proud heritage as well as his academic exploration of the region's cultural, political, and historical complexities. This interest was further enriched when he studied abroad at la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, where he refined his Spanish fluency, and focused his studies on Latin American history and international relations.

 

Currently, Federico is undertaking an internship with FORE Australia, an online solutions library that provides policymakers with accessible academic insights on key policy issues.

 

Federico looks forward to this Fellowship as an opportunity to combine his research interests with his personal experience to contribute meaningful analysis on Latin America's future amid shifting global dynamics.

Bec is currently completing her Honours in Psychology at the University of Queensland, with a research focus in social psychology and ethics.

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Raised across several countries, including Qatar and China, Bec spent most of her formative years in Houston, Texas. This global upbringing sparked a strong interest in American politics and shaped a nuanced perspective on the United States' role in global affairs. Having grown up during a time of deep division and political polarisation, she brings a thoughtful, layered lens to conversations around American domestic and foreign policy. 

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With professional experience in the public sector through Legal Aid, Bec is passionate about advocacy, policy analysis and behavioural insights. She is excited to undertake this fellowship as an opportunity to bridge her interests in psychology and politics whilst contributing meaningfully to policy conversations that matter. 

Jesse is completing a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) and a Bachelor of Laws at the University of New South Wales. His passion for Africa–Australia engagement is grounded in his Ghanaian heritage and shaped by experience across public policy and private markets.
He spent two and a half years in the Office of Senator Andrew Bragg, where he led ministerial and constituent engagement while contributing to policy initiatives.

 

Jesse has also interned at Attalis Capital, a boutique private equity firm, and is currently an Intern at A.T. Kearney, a global management consulting firm.
As an Africa Fellow, Jesse is committed to strengthening Australia’s strategic and diplomatic ties with the continent. He is particularly interested in how trade policy, diaspora networks, and investment diplomacy can position Australia as a meaningful partner in the African century.

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Young Australians in International Affairs is proud to partner with the Centre for Australia-Africa Relations at Curtin University as our Africa Fellow Sponsor. 

Tom Saxton is researching AI and open-source intelligence at RMIT University, where his research explores how AI can analyse large volumes of real-time data from conflict zones to generate actionable insights.

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He has published on open-source intelligence and AI security risks in The Conversation, the Australian Institute of International Affairs’ Australian Outlook, and the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s The Strategist.

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Tom is particularly interested in the national security implications of emerging technologies, including the risks posed by uncensored AI models and the challenge of regulating them in contested environments.

 

He is passionate about the role of technology in strategic decision-making and looks forward to exploring how cyber, tech, and space are reshaping international security through the Fellowship.

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Young Australians in International Affairs is proud to partner with .au Domain Administration (auDA) as our Climate and Environment Fellow Sponsor. 

Mirielle is completing a Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)-Humanities and Social Sciences and a Diploma of Languages at the Australian National University. Of East Timorese and Malaysian heritage, she grew up across France, Mauritania, Cameroon, Timor-Leste and Australia, which has shaped her passion for public policy, cultural diplomacy, and multilingual engagement.

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She has studied and worked abroad in France and Indonesia, including programs supported by DFAT’s New Colombo Plan, and the Australia-Indonesia Youth Exchange Program in 2024.

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Mirielle has worked across policy and community engagement in various NGOs. She currently works as a Policy Officer on issues related to refugee rights, First Nations justice, and social welfare, and serves as Vice President of the Australian Indonesia Youth Association (ACT).

 

She also volunteers as a language tutor for newly arrived migrants. Through this Fellowship, she hopes to explore how international affairs can better reflect the lived realities of Indigenous and marginalised communities.

Hafsa is a final-year Curtin University student, pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) in Economics and a Post-graduate Diploma in International Security. She is a two-time New Colombo Plan scholar, having completed an internship in South Korea in early 2025 and a study tour in Japan, focusing on the intersection of economic and geopolitical dynamics in the Asia-Pacific.

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With her lived experience across the Indo-Pacific, particularly the Middle East, Hafsa has developed a strong interest in the region’s political and cultural landscape, exploring its complexity separate from its mainstream identity. With her involvement in humanitarian and culturally political organisations, Hafsa has deepened her commitment to advocacy and cultural representation and given marginalised communities a voice.

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Through this fellowship, she aims to combine her passion for cultural nuance and equity-driven policy discourse to create diverse perspectives for the region.