Young Diplomats Society
Founders
Nikhil Sachdev Ben Zerbe Jiannis Tsaousis
Advisory Board Members
Nikhil Sachdev
Nikhil Sachdev is a J.D. student at the University of Melbourne and a co-founder of Young Diplomats. He previously completed a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne majoring in International Relations. Passionate about foreign policy and diplomacy, Nikhil started Young Diplomats in 2015 with an aim to bridge the gap between academia and professional applications of the field.
Jenna De La Rue
Jenna was the President of YD in 2017. She is currently completing her Masters in International Business at the University of Melbourne, having previously completed a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Politics and International Studies and Chinese. Jenna is passionate about international relations especially with regards to the Asia Pacific region. Prior to her role as President, Jenna was Partnerships Officer for YD. Her favourite part about YD is the way that it brings passionate and intelligent people together to share opinions and learn from each other.
Ben Zerbe
Ben co-founded YDS in 2015. He currently works at a boutique investment firm that specialises in international technology M&A. Previously Ben served as a staff member to the Australian Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Minister for Revenue and Financial Services. He is currently completing a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Politics and History at Melbourne University and a Bachelor of Laws at Deakin University. Ben served as editor of the Young Diplomat in 2015 and Secretary of the Young Diplomats Society in 2016. He co-founded Young Diplomat Society because he believes that young Australians have views worth sharing and was determined to give them a forum to do so.
Abbie Hallilan
Abbie is finishing her Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Politics and International Studies, and Anthropology and Social Theory. Studying at both Melbourne and Cambridge has inspired her interest in the public sector and social impact, which she is now pursuing through a consulting career. Abbie joins the YD board after serving as Secretary for YD in 2017.
Georgia Collins-Jennings
Georgia Collins-Jennings is the Office coordinator at the Australian Institute of International Affairs Victoria, and is currently studying a Master of International Relations at the University of Melbourne, having previously completed a Bachelor of Arts (anthropology Major) and Diploma of Languages (Spanish) at the University of Melbourne. In her spare time, Georgia is a regular volunteer, currently volunteering with Red R Australia on their Humanitarian Training courses, and has previously worked with the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) and Project Respect.
Steven Crawley
Steven holds a Masters Degree in International Relations from the University of Melbourne where he specialised in international security, having previously completed a Bachelor of Business (majoring in International Business) and a Bachelor of Science (majoring in Sustainability) from the University of the Sunshine Coast. Steven was awarded faculty commendations for both his Science and Business degree and was awarded the McGraw-Hill Education Australian Prize and the Sajen Legal Prize for his academic achievement. Working as a Research Assistant for the University of the Sunshine Coast, Steven published his first academic paper in 2016 discussing the strategic advantages to enhanced social capital between tertiary academics. Steven is a regular volunteer, previously working with Conservation Volunteers Australia, the Sustainability Research Centre at the University of the Sunshine Coast, and moves into the role of Board Member with YD after serving as President in 2018.