Sometimes, it’s life’s small kindnesses that have the greatest impact and last the longest. For business leader Professor Talal Yassine AM (Bachelor of Laws 1997), the generosity he and his family received in Australia after fleeing Lebanon in the late 1970s has driven his philanthropic work ever since. Now, he’s turning his focus to his alma mater, Macquarie University, establishing the Salaam Foundation Leadership Scholarships so the next generation of promising refugees can contribute to Australia’s social fabric.

Professor Talal Yassine AM is back at the Wallumattagal campus, and his eyes are shining bright with excitement. He’s just signed the agreement to establish the first Salaam Foundation Leadership Scholarships at Macquarie University, and he can’t wait to spread the news.

"We want to make a lot of noise – we’re starting with two scholarships, but I want to do ten!" he announces. "This is my alma mater, so I have big plans for these scholarships – they will support students on permanent humanitarian visas from all backgrounds, of all faiths and studying all degrees – undergraduate and postgraduate.

"These first two scholarships of $7500 each will see two students at Macquarie through three years of their degrees. We know that most students have two or three part-time jobs, and research shows that this financial support can significantly ease that burden.

"In fact, the scholarships are designed so students can do one less job, reducing the stress of balancing work and study. For those students with great potential, who are leaders in their families, in their communities, doing one less job could make all the difference.

"But, even more than this, it is a recognition of the refugee journey – it says, we see you, we hear you and we respect you. We know there’s a cohort of incredible people who have travelled across land and sea to make it to Australia and are now at Macquarie University.

"We know these students need support, and we know that by raising one person, you raise a community – an entire generation, even. That’s why, embedded in these scholarships and afterwards is mentoring, referrals and networking opportunities, so recipients can connect with others, harness their innate leadership abilities and contribute to Australia’s social fabric."

If it sounds ambitious, you’d be right, but nearly 50 Salaam scholars have already graduated from various universities with support from Professor Yassine’s Salaam Foundation, which together with the Salaam Institute forms the philanthropic arm of the Salaam Group that also comprises the financial service entities Salaam Super and Salaam Finance.

With the aims of building a community of care and compassion, pioneering social change and creating real-world impact, the Salaam Foundation is partnering with Macquarie University for the first time. But, for Professor Yassine, partnering with his alma mater is like coming full circle.

"Back on campus to sign the agreement, I visited the Muslim Student Association and saw myself back here 30 years ago, advocating for good and helping others. It was like no time had passed at all, and brought home just how committed I am to these scholarships."

Active in societies and student politics during his student days, Professor Yassine was president of the student council, treasurer of the student union and member of the university’s governing body. "It was a wonderful learning experience; it absolutely created me," he says.

"I remember inviting the then vice-chancellor Dr Yerbury, who went on to sit on the board of Salaam Super, and the then chancellor Dr Tim Besley AC, who was also chairman of Commonwealth Bank, to a traditional meal at home with my parents and seven siblings.

"We taught them how to eat with Lebanese bread and shared our table with them – they were such beautiful people, and these are the kind of incredible connections I made at Macquarie. It was also where I learned how to talk to people and run organisations, and it opened my eyes to the world. I owe everything to Macquarie, and am here to give back and pay it forward."

Since his student days, Dr Yassine has gone on to have a successful career as an entrepreneur, business leader, academic and keynote speaker, and is an Adjunct Fellow at the Macquarie University School of Law, yet philanthropy remains at the heart of everything he does, honouring his family’s experience in Australia.

"Technically, we were immigrants, but because of the civil war, the government rushed us to Australia in January 1977. In effect, we were refugees, but our story is a beautiful one, full of the human kindness we were shown by everyday Australians.

"From the school principal who drove me to school for six months when my mother was unwell, to the man who helped my father by shutting a service station to take my mother, who was in labour, to hospital rather than phone an ambulance.

"I have hundreds of these stories of love and attention from random strangers in Australia, who had nothing in common with us but our shared humanity and a soul-to-soul connection – these scholarships are a repayment of that generosity."

Still, the significance of these scholarships runs even deeper for Professor Yassine, who continues, "I see myself in every aspect of these scholarships. My parents were subsistence farmers in Lebanon, so they didn’t receive an education.

"They dreamed of a future where their children could have a job where their hands would be clean and, out of us eight kids," says Professor Yassine proudly, "we have 30 degrees between us. Education was our ticket in Australia."

Throughout his studies, he worked numerous jobs, for example as a cab driver, at a service station and as a delivery guy, and says, "I know one less job would have helped me, as it does for our current scholarship students – the stories of thanks they share are just so moving."

Students like Ruby, who undertook a medical science degree so she could be a doctor and help her community in Western Sydney, or Zohal, who wants to make a difference to people with her law degree. As she explains, "This scholarship means a lot to me because I never had an education in my country. But now, I am educated, and because you have helped me, I have the tools to not only change myself but change the lives of those around me."

These are exactly the kind of community leaders Professor Yassine wants to nurture at Macquarie University, and the level of social impact that can be achieved through the Salaam Foundation Leadership Scholarships.

"We are all human, we are all joined in our humanity, and we all have needs – through these scholarships, I am committed to helping refugees and making a real-world impact," he ends. And of that, we have no doubt.

If you are interested in supporting students through scholarships, please contact us at mqadvancement@mq.edu.au.

Professor Talal Yassine AM Bio

Professor Talal Yassine AM is the Founder and Managing Director of the Salaam Group of Companies, a pioneering group that is redefining the essence of Islamic superannuation, Islamic finance, and age and disability care in Australia.

Professor Yassine is a proud board member of Taronga Zoo, a council member of the Australian Fathering Awards, and a committee member for the Powerhouse Parramatta. His corporate leadership experience extends from PWC and Babcock & Brown to his chairmanship of First Quay Capital and LandCorp Australia.

He has previously held roles on the boards of Australia Post and Sydney Ports, contributing his expertise to Macquarie University Council, and guiding the Western Sydney Area Health Service. Notably, his chairmanship at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Council for Australia-Arab Relations underscores his significant impact on fostering international relations and cultural understanding.