Anna Kosmynina and Stephanie Thomson will be attending two highly prestigious international forums later this year as part of our Merit Scholars program.

Anna, 22, will be attending the Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) Forum, to be held in Paris in June. Stephanie, also 22, will be attending the United Nations Economic and Social Council High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York in July.

Through its Merit Scholars program, Macquarie has partnered with Global Voices, a not-for-profit organisation providing opportunities for young Australians to engage with international policy both at home and abroad.

Anna and Stephanie recently returned from preparatory activities in Canberra, where they met with a number of senior members of Parliament, including the Prime Minister, the Hon Tony Abbott MP, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Julie Bishop MP.

Anna Kosmynina is studying a Bachelor of Arts with a Bachelor of Science. She is an active member of the Young Scientists of Australia (YSA) and a member of Macquarie’s Global Leadership Program.

“Attending this forum will allow me to put my skills and knowledge of economics and development into practice,” said Anna.

Stephanie is currently studying a Bachelor of Applied Finance with the degree of Bachelor of Actuarial Studies at Macquarie University. She has been a Merit Scholar since 2011 and is an ambassador for the program.

“Attending the United Nations forum will be an apt opportunity for me to voice the growing concern for intergenerational inequality within Australia and around the world. I look forward to utilising my actuarial skills to promote global sustainability,” said Stephanie.