The General Manager of Make A Mark Australia, Paul Singer, was recently selected to participate in the Commonwealth Study Conferences Leaders program at Oxford University.

CSCLeaders assembles exceptional senior leaders from across the Commonwealth to tackle challenges, build global relationships and develop the cultural intelligence needed by the leaders of tomorrow.

CSCLeaders is a partnership between the international leadership development program Common Purpose and an initiative of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, the Commonwealth Study Conferences. It is a global leadership program for 100 exceptional senior leaders selected each year from government, business and non-government organisations across the 53 countries of the Commonwealth.

Paul Singer making a presentation to the cohort and Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal on ‘what makes a city smart’.

During the conference, Paul discussed the work of Make A Mark Australia and the criticality of engaging youth in education. It was a message that resonated with the central themes of the program, using practical examples from MAMA’s experience in empowering children in need through improved access to education.

“One of the enduring highlights from this experience was the tremendous diversity in the cohort. From senior business representatives, scientists, innovators and village leaders from remote communities in Africa – each had their own unique story. Notwithstanding our differences in perspective, the importance of childhood education was commonly accepted as a fundamental element of a successful and prosperous community where children can grow, thrive and excel.” Paul Singer, General Manager of MAMA

The cohort of Commonwealth leaders with the President of the Commonwealth Study Conferences, Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal.

In its first five years, MAMA has funded several significant projects, assisting more than 8,000 students in seven countries including Zambia, Afghanistan, Timor-Leste, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tonga.