Studying from afar – Crawford graduate completes degree 1000km from nearest city

Zoë Fitzgerald’s passion for study knows no bounds, literally and figuratively. She began studying a Master of Public Administration (MPA) at the Crawford School of Public Policy from the Gove Peninsula in East Arnhem Land, right at the top of the Northern Territory.

“The privilege of being able to complete a Master’s degree whilst living 1000km from the nearest city is not lost on me,” she explains.

Looking to grow her career, she wanted to deepen her understanding and skills in public policy and governance and strengthen her future work in policy development and implementation. But to do that, she didn’t want to leave her job or the community she loved.

She says, “the opportunity to study at a world-class institution like Crawford whilst continuing my regional development career felt like the perfect fit.”

“I loved the fact that I could attend a class and learn a new policy instrument or public administration approach, and directly apply it in my work in the public service the very next day.”

Zoë says that while initially trepidatious about studying online, having loved attending lectures and spending time in the library during her undergrad, she needn’t have worried.

“From day one, I was blown away with how well-organised and engaging the experience was. Many of my courses included tutorials specifically for online students which was a great opportunity to get to know my cohort and meet people from across Australia and internationally,” she told us.

But it wasn’t all smooth sailing, as anyone who has lived remotely knows. Living that far from resources meant Zoë was incredibly grateful for the flexibility from lecturers when grappling with unexpected internet outages.

It was Crawford in the end that tore her away from the Gove Peninsula. As part of the CRWF8019 – Public Policy and Professional Internship course in mid 2025, she undertook a placement through the Australian Government’s Australian Volunteer Program in Dili, Timor-Leste with the Timor-Leste Hearts Fund (TLHF).

Zoë explains, “My placement focused on supporting TLHF’s work with the Timor-Leste Ministry of Health and the Dili National Hospital to strengthen cardiovascular health policy in Timor-Leste. This experience involved building relationships with key stakeholders, supporting program coordination and working collaboratively to deliver Timor-Leste’s first ever World Heart Day Symposium. My time in Timor-Leste has been fantastic and an absolute highlight of my Master’s degree.” 

She was also then able to bring learnings from her degree into one body of research as part of her final project which examined foreign aid localisation in Timor-Leste.

“Dr Annabel Dulhunty was instrumental in supporting and advising my final research project and I owe her many thanks,” she says.

Zoë also says a special mention must go to Dr Laura Davy, Dr Michael Di Francesco and Dr Ruth O’Connor for their teaching, and the courses Managing Government Finances, taught by Dr Michael Di Francesco, and Public Strategy, taught by Dr Andrew Kennedy.

“Both courses greatly expanded my understanding of public governance systems and are highly applicable to my day-to-day work in the sector. I find myself referring back to and drawing on learnings from both courses frequently.”

These courses helped her integrate her own experience with local policy to have a better understanding of global policy.

She says, “a key learning from my career in regional development in Australia has been the need for policymakers to prioritise genuine policy co-design with affected communities. The most effective policy decisions are those made in concert, founded on the learnings and insights of multiple knowledge systems. This concept is equally as applicable to global policy issues.”

“I would absolutely recommend prospective students choose Crawford for their MPA studies, particularly if they are requiring portions of online study. I had a fantastic experience and couldn’t recommend Crawford more highly.” 

Zoë has been awarded the Master of Public Administration Prize, which goes to the student who completes and achieves the best overall aggregate results in the program. As for what’s next for Zoë, she’s staying in Timor-Leste and continuing her role with Timor-Leste Hearts Fund until mid-2026. And of course, keeping some balance in her life with painting, snorkeling and learning Tetum.

She embodies the spirit of Crawford in her curiosity and desire to better the world. We are looking forward to seeing all that she accomplishes. 

To learn more about studying online through the Crawford School of Public Policy, click here. For more stories from Crawford Alumni, and the Crawford Alumni Dialogue series, click here.