My Mannkal USA Program Experience
This year I have been lucky enough to have visited the United States through the Mannkal USA program. During June, July, and August, I have gone from the seminar classes of Great Barrington, MA, through the mountains of Vermont to the streets of New York through the AIER Summer Program, the Capitaf Free to Choose seminar, and the Reliance College Seminar. In retrospect, it was probably the most productive time period of my degree thus far, and I can only recommend such experience to any economics-oriented student.
The AIER Summer Program at Great Barrington, with its several weeks of seminars, guest speakers, and late-night discussions with students and researchers from around the world, was the highlight of my trip. Prior to that, there was the Capitaf Free to Choose seminar in Vermont, which served as an introduction for me, with small discussion groups held at a truly beautiful location, where I found myself arguing with people whom I would never have
interacted with if I was back in Perth.
Indeed, meeting new people proved to be the most enjoyable part of the entire journey. Sitting together in discussion groups after classes and debating about topics such as markets, institutions, and ideologies with other students who came from completely different places proved to be one of those experiences that I would never get anywhere else but through traveling and seeing the world firsthand. It was also possible for me to find a place where to see UFC 329 in the middle of my travels; it turned out to be a fun evening with strangers, which confirmed that the connections formed in this study program extended beyond the class room.
The academic value of the program consisted of a push towards studying free market economics and classical liberalism in much more depth than ever before. However, perhaps even more valuable were the things I learned about myself, in terms of being able to organise and execute an independent trip overseas, speak confidently among a group of intelligent people and even be confident in discussion when it came to topics that I used to feel uncomfortable talking about.
It is with a real network of contacts throughout the country, and even outside the country, with a better understanding of the concepts I am interested in, and much more self-assurance in my ability to pursue such an opportunity that I have returned home from my experience. It is with certainty that I can say that I will continue to be influenced by this experience for a long time to com Should you consider taking part in the Mannkal USA Program, do so. It is one of the greatest opportunities I have come across while studying at university. The connections, new concepts and the confidence that I have gained from this program are more valuable than any effort required for preparing an application.
Everything that you will have to do will become a great part of the story. The people you are going to meet in this program, be they Australian students or the scholars from the other side of the world, will open up a whole new perspective of the reality to you in such a way that any lecturer can do. The discussions you have will continue long after the seminars are over; late in the night, at the dinner table, in the car en route to another venue and much longer after you have returned from your journey. If you have doubts about yourself and your ability to adapt, or whether your ideas are mature enough, forget about it. Everybody who participates in the program is at some stage of their development and the entire aim of it is to develop.
– Noah O’Riley
