An arts graduate and lecturer at The University of Western Australia with a keen interest in Australia’s strategic policy has been awarded the 2027 Geoff Gallop John Monash Scholarship.

Christian Miller-Sabbioni, who attended St George's Anglican Grammar School, completed a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Relations (Honours) at UWA and currently works as a lecturer at the School of Indigenous Studies.

A Whadjuk, Ballardong Noongar man who shares Italian and German ancestry, Mr Miller-Sabbioni’s honours research examined the historical development of Australia’s strategic narratives and how they shaped Australian security and defence from 1824-1953.

Through lecturing at UWA and exposure to policy work interning at UWA's Defence and Security Institute, he has developed an interdisciplinary approach to policy work that bridges history, international relations and strategic policy.

In his current and proposed research, Mr Miller-Sabbioni examines how these strategic narratives have informed Australia’s contemporary strategic position.

He plans to attend the University of Oxford and undertake a Master of Philosophy with the Department of International Relations, to further his journey as an aspiring scholarly diplomat of Australia.

“I’m deeply honoured to receive this award and look forward to having the chance to advance my knowledge of history and world politics abroad,” Mr Miller-Sabbioni said.

“I aim to return equipped with a distinctive approach to Australian strategy in the Indo-Pacific, to tackle how Australia will respond to the structural reordering of the global system in the Asian Century.”

Mr Miller-Sabbioni was one of 18 future Australian leaders awarded scholarships valued at $100,000 a year for up to three years of study.  Applicants are selected based on their academic excellence, leadership potential and impact for Australia.