I discovered the Mannkal Scholarship Program while exploring the world of Free Market economics and Classical Liberalism during my Bachelor of Commerce at Curtin University. It appeared to be the perfect program for me, and it certainly went beyond my high expectations. It was a truly life changing experience. We engaged in fascinating seminars, went to conferences I never knew existed, and of course, were given the opportunity to intern at a think tank overseas.
I was successful in applying for the Institute of Economic Affairs in London, which has the primary goal of spreading the ideas of Free Markets and Classical Liberalism. I found myself surrounded by some of the most intelligent minds I’ve ever met and was immediately welcomed as part of the IEA family. As interns, we helped with the general operations of the think tank including manning reception, running events, interviewing the next batch of interns, and most importantly, engaging with the department we had the most interest in. My interest was the IEA Internship Program itself, as I believe that it is with young minds that Classical Liberals are losing the ideological battle the most. I was fortunate at the end of my internship to be offered the position of Operations Manager, taking over control of the program I had just completed. My aim now is to take the best and brightest young liberal minds and provide them with the skills and opportunities necessary to succeed in their careers and hopefully, continue the spread of Classical Liberal ideas.
We have already implemented some exciting initiatives including seminars, debates, intern presentations, House of Lords debate viewings, and the opportunity to write for the 1828 blog. Future plans include a mentorship program, an official graduation ceremony and an enhanced alumni program. Much of this was inspired by the fantastic quality of Mannkal’s Scholarship Program which provided me with the inspiration, skills and opportunities to build a career around my passion for spreading the ideas of Classical Liberalism.
Samuel Cruickshank (Right) and IEA Intern Group
