AmCham Business Education Fellowship

Champion of Learning for Life Awarded AmCham Business Education Fellowship

Seasoned international trade negotiator, Rhodes Scholar, and Chief Executive of the Wellington Regional Chamber of Commerce, Philip Lewin, has been awarded the American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham) 2002-2003 Business Education Fellowship from a field of high calibre candidates.

The Fellowship aims to foster excellence and innovation in New Zealand business education, executive development and global best practice. The $10,000 Fellowship, sponsored by Cambridge Consulting Services Ltd, the executive recruitment and business-consulting arm of The Cambridge Group, in association with Amcham and United Airlines, provides international travel and two weeks study in the United States visiting top universities, business schools and corporates, as well as the US Chamber of Commerce. The winner’s findings will be presented at business and education forums and published in a report, which will be circulated to educators, business leaders and government later this year.

“I am thrilled to have won this prestigious award,” Mr Lewin said. “I think in terms of continuing education and learning for life so these two, whole, dedicated weeks to tap into the U.S. educational firmament should yield enormous insights into how business education may be better structured and delivered here in New Zealand.

“We don’t have a strong enough enterprise culture here. As a society, we’re always ready to extol our sporting heroes, but regard successful business people with suspicion at best.

“We also have a front line issue of not enough school leavers going on to tertiary education or turning up for jobs with the necessary job and life skills. There are too many of our people who are functionally illiterate and innumerate. That’s got to change and I plan to put my findings to practical use in upping our national performance on business education.”

Chairman of the judging panel, Rob Storey, said Mr Lewin was an outstanding winner whose strong education background as a graduate of three universities, track record at the Wellington Chamber of Commerce and Open Polytechnic Council, leadership and communications skills, and established networks in business education aligned superbly with the Amcham Business Education Fellowship Award.

Mr Lewin was presented with the award at a cocktail function in Auckland on Thursday (27 March).

Applications for the 2003-2004 Fellowship will be called for in November with a close off date early in 2004.

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