My Liveris Academy Journey
by Claudia McPherson
My experience in the Liveris Academy so far has been easily my most enriching University experience. What sets Liveris workshops and sessions aside from other courses is the level of engagement, learning, and participation that is both expected and encouraged. Learning how cybersecurity specialists pitch to the prime minister by developing our own five-minute pitches or navigating the ethically ambiguous space of autonomous vehicles through engaging in a debate, is something that I have not experienced anywhere else.
I have also found the community as possibly the most amazing benefit of the academy. Having such intelligent, like-minded, yet diverse peers surrounding me has truly allowed me to flourish. More than anything, I have enjoyed getting to know my fellow scholars, and getting involved in more social events, fund-raisers, and peer-recommended opportunities. Without such amazing people sitting beside me, my experience would not have been half as beneficial, and I have truly enjoyed getting to know everyone so far.
This sense of personal development and community offered by the academy has given me the confidence and connections to create my own leadership opportunities. As an example, being exposed to world leaders such as Arvind Krishna, CEO of IBM, and hearing his inspiring take on leadership and AI understanding being achievable by all, truly gave me insight. Anyone really can be a leader! I am currently in the process of starting up a VR/AR society here at UQ (with the help of a close friend at college) called UQ Reality Labs. The ability to pitch to fellow students, open myself to failure, and most importantly collaborate with similar clubs across other universities is new to me, and has most definitely been developed and nurtured throughout my participation in academy sessions. I am so excited to create workshops, networking events, panels, and social events to encourage students to engage in VR/ AR and help demystify this space!
Finally, I love how my experience can be so personalised. Along with the mandatory academy sessions, there are various optional events, panels, and interesting articles offered. These optional activities, while generally underrated, are always extremely insightful and thought-provoking, and give me something to consider.
I absolutely cannot wait for the next few years in the academy, and hope my experiences, friendships, and connections are as wonderfully enriching as they have been so far!
