Almost 1000 Australian business leaders gathered at the Royal Exhibition Building on Thursday, 8 May 2025, to attend the 15th annual Melbourne Foundation for Business and Economics Dinner.
The Foundation and the Faculty were delighted to have almost 1000 business leaders from across Australia, many alumni and friends of the University, join them to celebrate 100 years since the establishment of the Faculty of Business and Economics and the introduction of the Bachelor of Commerce to the University of Melbourne.
This year’s dinner tied into the Centenary theme, Arresting disadvantage through the power of scholarships, with the goal of establishing 100 Centenary Scholarships through the Narrm Scholarship Program.
As the University of Melbourne’s flagship equity program, the program provides financial, academic and wellbeing support for students underrepresented in our domestic undergraduate cohort. This includes students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, regional and remote areas or who are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent.
The Faculty and the Foundation are well on track to provide 100 students with 100 scholarships in 2026.
NAB, a principal partner of the 2025 Dinner, also announced the NAB Foundation’s commitment to supporting Indigenous Bachelor of Commerce students. NAB Group CEO and Managing Director Andrew Irvine joined proud FBE alumni Lucy Liu, Co-Founder and President, AirWallex, and Danielle Wood, Chair, Productivity Commission, for a panel discussion.
The Faculty acknowledges the NAB Foundation, as well as other donors, for their generous contributions to the Narrm Scholarship Program.
Among the dinner attendees were two special guests, current students and recipients of the Sidney Myer Centennial Scholarship, Charlotte Westaway and Esdras Assimadi.
The Sidney Myer Centennial Scholarship, funded by the Sidney Myer University Trust, was launched in 2024 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Faculty of Business and Economics. It is one of the most generous scholarships ever offered, providing recipients with full fee remission and a living allowance for the duration of their Commerce degree.
“I don’t think the lack of means or the lack of opportunity should be a barrier in pursuing something you’re passionate about,” said Esdras. “Because of this scholarship, it’s actually provided me the chance to pursue commerce, which isn’t readily available in regional and rural areas.”
“Commerce used to be an extremely male-dominated field of study, but now, that’s changing and to receive the Sidney Myer Centennial Scholarship, it's a vote of confidence in my potential and capabilities,” said Charlotte, who described the scholarship as “amazing”.
“Uplifting and empowering women is so important because we have so much to give and so much expertise to add. It’s important to acknowledge that and benefit from what everyone can bring to the table.”
FBE Advisory Board member and President of the Myer Foundation, Rupert Myer AO, has acknowledged and thanked the Faculty and University for creating the Centennial Scholarships and for honouring Sidney Myer by stating, “These transformational scholarships are timely, ambitious, generous and a wonderful recognition of my grandfather’s initial gifts one century ago”.
The Myer family has a long, significant relationship with our faculty. In 1927, the Chair of Commerce, held by the founding Dean, Professor Douglas Copland, was named as the Sidney Myer Chair of Commerce following Sidney Myer’s gift of 25,000 Myer Emporium Limited shares valued at £50,000 in 1926. The Sidney Myer Chair of Commerce, a position today held by Dean Paul Kofman, reflects this enduring legacy, and the Faculty is deeply grateful to the Myer family for their continued generosity and support.
About the Foundation
The Melbourne Foundation for Business and Economics aims to give bright minds a brilliant future by building a scholarship and bursary endowment for disadvantaged students. Its purpose is to support the Faculty's ambition of cementing Melbourne as a global hub for business and economics education and to strengthen our international standing and reputation for excellence.
The Faculty acknowledges with gratitude Christian Bennett and Alison Conn for their service as Co-Chairs of the 2025 Melbourne Foundation for Business and Economics Dinner Committee. We extend that gratitude to the other members of the Dinner Committee: Dr Peter Yates AM and Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, Sally Capp AO, Fiona McGauchie, and the Chair of the Melbourne Foundation for Business and Economics, Tony Burgess.