Former staff member and graduate Jim Scanlan knows the practical value of a UNE education.

Jim, who graduated with a Diploma in Modern Languages majoring in Indonesian in  2016, beat a strong field to win a national competition requiring competitors to translate a well-known Indonesian poem into English. 

The  AALITRA Translation Prize is offered biannually and attracts entrants from across Australia. It is organised by the Australian Association for Literary Translation and this year the featured language was Indonesian. Jim won first prize in the poetry translation section. 

The set poem Barangkali (“Perhaps . . .”), by renowned Indonesian poet Amir Hamzah was first published in 1937, while the 26-year-old poet was living in Jakarta as one of the most prominent pioneers of an emerging Indonesian literature.

Jim, a UNE stalwart who worked in public relations from 2001 to 2012, said he was fortunate to have been able to study Indonesian at UNE, and to have the encouragement of the Indonesian Discipline in taking advantage of opportunities such as the AALITRA Translation Prize competition. He was presented with his prize at the award ceremony held at the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Melbourne last month.