Where the Study of Languages can take you …

Heath Slone, in College 2013-16, completed BA(Languages) majoring in Chinese, Hebrew, and French and immediately picked up post-uni work in public affairs at the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies. Here he spear-headed the campaign to successfully reform NSW anti-discrimination legislation and strengthen inter-community relations.

In 2019 he received a Yenching Fellowship to undertake a fully-funded Masters in Law (Politics and International Relations) at the Yenching Academy of Peking University, which he completed in 2021.[1]

Since 2020 Heath has worked as a Senior Research Analyst at the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), a Washington DC- and Jerusalem-based think tank, that focuses on foreign language media, strategic affairs, and counter-extremism.[2] Today’s remote working opportunities allow Heath to live in Vienna. His language skills acquired at university have been greatly expanded through his Middle East work and the study in China. Heath posses a high level of proficiency in Mandarin, Hebrew, French, German, Arabic, Farsi, and Hungarian. For this old Pauline the value of the study of languages is helping Heath to shape economies, cultures, and societies in our increasingly interconnected world.

[1] The Yenching Academy of Peking University offers a fully funded, interdisciplinary Master’s program in China Studies designed to foster global understanding of China’s past, present, and future. Bringing together talented young leaders from around the world, the program emphasizes intercultural exchange, innovation, and academic flexibility. Scholars choose from six research areas, create personalized study paths with mentorship, and engage in a wide range of courses, extracurriculars, and fieldwork. With a curriculum rooted in the humanities and social sciences, the Academy encourages dialogue across disciplines and perspectives, aiming to shape globally minded citizens with a nuanced understanding of China.

[2] The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) is an independent, nonpartisan nonprofit that bridges the language gap between the West and the Middle East and South Asia by translating media in languages such as Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, and more. Founded in 1998, MEMRI provides timely translations and original analysis on political, ideological, and cultural trends to governments, security agencies, media, and academia, aiding efforts to combat extremism and inform global understanding of the region.