Aidan O’Callaghan
Acting Deputy Ambassador and First Secretary,
Australian Embassy in Chile and Ecuador
Thanks to an excellent relationship between the ADC and Macquarie University, I was given the opportunity to intern with the team during my undergraduate degree in 2018. The experience not only gave me a front row seat to better understand how the vast majority of legal disputes are resolved outside of court, but also enabled me to learn tangible dispute resolution skills, through participation in one of the Centre’s dispute management courses. In particular, I gained insights into the format and substance of disputes ranging from simple negotiations, through to facilitated mediations and even international arbitrations. I likewise learned key skills in the application of conciliatory language to facilitate dialogue and attain agreement even in the most heated of disagreements.
Using my experience at the ADC, I subsequently landed my first ever role in an international organisation, interning with the United Nations Commission for International Commercial Law (UNCITRAL) in South Korea, the following year, and several other domestic and international positions thereafter.
To this day, whether to resolve internal disagreements in my workplace, or indeed as a representative of the Australian Government overseas, I continue to apply key skills, tactics, and lessons from my time at the ADC to facilitate mutually beneficial outcomes, even in situations of apparent disagreement.
Jerome Babate RN, MBA, PhD, LCP
Executive Director of the Filipino Nursing Diaspora Network, an international organization of Filipino nurses with headquarters in Sydney, Australia
I am thrilled to share how my internship at ADC in 2014 became a turning point in my professional journey. Spending one day a week over five months in an Australian workplace was more than just gaining work experience—it was a transformative chapter that opened my eyes to new possibilities. At ADC, I didn’t just learn about professional practices and workplace culture; I lived them. Collaborating with a diverse team taught me the power of clear communication and the value of adaptability in a multicultural environment. I honed critical skills like time management and organisational awareness, which have become the bedrock of my career. However, the network I built truly set my ADC experience apart. The connections I made were not only inspiring but also foundational to my growth. They gave me the confidence to take bold steps in my career, eventually leading me to my current role as the Executive Director of an international professional nursing organisation. The exposure to real-world projects at ADC fuelled my passion for driving impactful initiatives and making a difference in the communities I serve. Looking back, I see my internship as a launchpad propelling me. To current and future interns, seize every challenge and opportunity—your time at ADC could be the spark that ignites your professional dreams. Thank you, ADC, for shaping my journey and nurturing future leaders through this remarkable program.