Testimonials

Tracy Brown, 2020 Nuffield Scholar

Corrigan Sowman
2019 Nuffield Scholar

Solis Norton
2018 Nuffield Scholar

Rebecca Hyde
2017 Nuffield Scholar

Kate Scott
2018 Nuffield NZ Scholar

“Being a Nuffield Scholar is a positively disruptive experience that will challenge the way you view the world and your place in it. The opportunity to see the world through the eyes and experiences of the people you meet along the way is both rewarding and humbling at the same time, and for me the life-long friends you make is a definite highlight.

It is easy to see your life and your circumstances as a barrier to completing a Nuffield, but if I have learnt one thing as a business owner and working mum with three small children, it is that the only barriers stopping you are the ones you put up yourself.”

Rebecca Hyde
2017 Nuffield NZ Scholar

“The reality of what the Nuffield Scholarship provided me vastly exceeded my expectations going into it. I have experienced a change in my thinking due to first hand exposure to global perspectives and gained a better understanding of where New Zealand is placed in global food network.

The confidence I have gained to explore and test ideas is largely due to the people that I met during my Nuffield travels. These extraordinary people, who perceive what they are doing to be ordinary, influenced what I now think is possible. Being part of the Nuffield programme has provided me with the knowledge, networks and confidence to help drive New Zealand agribusiness into a bright future.”

Tom Skerman
2016 Nuffield NZ Scholar

“The value of participating in the Nuffield Programme only grows over time. Completing the 12 month journey is unquestionably a hectic experience that provides a rich basket of knowledge, lessons and networks, immediately contributing to your personal and professional development. 

Beyond this I have had almost daily opportunities to either draw or reflect on that experience in order to make a meaningful contribution to primary sector issues and discussions. Nuffield has provided me with the confidence to step into the breech and engage with the challenges facing NZ’s growers and farmers and to test new solutions and insights with primary sector leaders and influencers.”

Mel Poulton
2014 Nuffield NZ Scholar

“I highly recommend the Nuffield Scholarship if you are someone that loves a challenge, thrives on adventure and the unexpected. If jumping in the deep end wholeheartedly and rising up to represent our nation and primary industry is something you’ll take on then you’re already embracing the essence of Nuffield. 

If you’re hungry to learn and are prepared to take on significant shifts in your thinking to bring back to the New Zealand Primary Industry, then a Nuffield Scholarship is for you – it’s what you make it. The more you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it. Go for it and give it everything you’ve got.”

 

Michael Tayler
2012 Nuffield NZ Scholar

“I was once told that to complete a Nuffield Scholarship would be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. With some encouragement and these words ringing in my ears in late 2011 I decided to apply. While I have always been aware of the strong reputation of a Nuffield Scholarship I really had little idea what it involved. Now as I reflect, I understand how fortunate I am and what a fantastic opportunity I have had. 

The strength of agriculture globally is the willingness of its people to share ideas to allow different countries to learn from each other. Whether it is meeting with world trade negotiators in Switzerland or learning from a silk worm farmer in southern India, a Nuffield Scholarship allows you access to that. During my scholarship I have gained an invaluable network of contacts and many genuine friends that will stay with me for life.

Doing “a Nuffield” has far exceeded my expectations and has been an invaluable experience in so many ways. At times it has been challenging but it has also been one of the most rewarding experiences that I have had and I would have no hesitation recommending a Nuffield Scholarship to others.”

David Campbell
2011 Nuffield NZ Scholar

“If you are reading this, contemplating whether to apply for a Nuffield Scholarship you need to know four things about the Nuffield experience. It will:

  1. change your life
  2. globalise your perspective
  3. connect you with great people and
  4. challenge you to become a robust and visionary leader
    Those seeking a prescribed, watered down, spoon fed, over in a week leadership course to grace their CV should not apply.

The best thing about my Nuffield experience was being alone in China, remote from my everyday life, determined to find some answers in a place that presented only questions and where asking them was a challenge! Being ‘in at the deep end’ is the best way to truly challenge and grow yourself and a Nuffield Scholarship presents no shortage of such opportunities.

Completing a Nuffield scholarship has grown my confidence, built global networks, focused my vision and strengthened my resolve to make a positive contribution to our sector. A Nuffield scholarship undertaken to its fullest will induce the best life crisis you’ve ever had!”

Desiree Reid
2010 Nuffield NZ Scholar

“Nuffield was a life-changing experience for me. I thought I would learn only about my subject, but the lessons learned on the road were all encompassing. From time in Europe, North and South America, China and South East Asia, I will continue to draw upon the scholarship experience for a long time yet.

Three years on and Nuffield hasn’t finished. I don’t think it ever will. The Nuffield Network continues to open doors and introduce exciting new ideas, both through new travels and hosting scholars from around the world coming to New Zealand.”

Our programmes work in partnership with some of New Zealand’s leading agribusiness organisations – click here for more.​