Career Summary

A curious and passionate individual, Imogen Kane completed her Bachelor of Global Studies at Monash University in 2021, specialising in International Relations, and is currently pursuing her Master of International Relations, specialising in Gender, Peace & Security.

During her time at Monash, Imogen convened Model UN conferences, led overseas delegations and competed on behalf of Monash International Affairs Society, Monash University and Australia more broadly, receiving multiple international recognitions.

From working as a casual team member at Cotton On Kids, Imogen applied her passions and knowledge in international affairs and global issues, working her way up to her current position as Impact Coordinator for the Cotton On Foundation, implementing projects across Australia, Uganda, South Africa, and Thailand. Whilst her newest role as 2023 Youth Representative to the United Nations for DFAT, sees her travel around Australia, uncovering and voicing the key issues of today's young Australians.

Career Pathway

Present - 2023 Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations, DFAT
Present - Impact Coordinator, Cotton On Foundation
Present - Master of International Relations, Monash University
2023 - Socials Officer, Model United Nations (MUN) Officer & WorldMUN Head Delegate, MIAS
2022 - Brand Trade Specialist - Cotton On Kids, Cotton On Group
2021 - Retail Casual Team Member - Cotton On Kids (Chadstone Flagship)
2021 - Bachelor of Global Studies, Monash University
2021 - Musical Director, Mordialloc College
2021 - Research Intern, Australian Centre for Education and Training – Global
2019 - English Tutor, TutorBright
2019 - Receptionist, Highett Youth Club
2018 - Calisthenics Assistant Coach
2016 - Customer service team member, KFC

Why did you choose to study a Bachelor of Global Studies at Monash?

I didn't have a lot of opportunities to pursue the humanities at my high school, whilst Monash had an opportunity for students to start taking university classes in year 12. I got a taste and I loved it, so I thought I'd like to keep going with this.

Monash’s Bachelor of Global Studies just seemed to pull all my loves into one degree. I loved politics, history and international affairs, and I could do all of it, as well as have opportunities to travel. It just seemed like the right fit.

What travel opportunities did Monash offer you?

At the end of my first year I did the Global Immersion Guarantee (GIG) to Prato, which was really interesting. It was really good to test assumptions that every part of the world has issues and needs to develop. In Italy’s case, it was an environmental need, so that was really fascinating to learn about. I also met people through GIG that I still talk to and hang out with. It brings amazing people together. It was an amazing opportunity for me. I've also had other overseas opportunities through clubs and societies as well.

What other opportunities did you take up during your studies?

I was really just head into one club, Monash International Affairs Society (MIAS). Through their access to the Model UN programme, I've been able to compete internationally on behalf of Australia and Monash in Kobe, Japan in 2022, in New York this year, and online during COVID. Not only was I able to go to places I've never been before, but I met with students from around the world. And we all get to come together and discuss these really intense political issues. In the UN system, we're only role-playing as states, and yet the level of skills that you learn from it is incredible. I've now got friends all over the world. I gained knowledge in many different areas because I did the research for it. It's pushed me to new fields of interest.

Model UN offers both domestic and international opportunities. I convened one of the domestic conferences last year, which is called MUNash. It's a two day conference where you just have a go and learn what Model UN is. There's also those international opportunities, this year it is in New York and next year it'll be in Galapagos.

We're the only Australian university that does it, so it's a real privilege to be there. And we do pretty well too. We do it our way, which is the most important. I credit my ability to finish my degree with my participation in the Model UN, and with a lot of the skills I have today. You learn public speaking, negotiation and policy, research and writing. You also get to understand how the international system works, and how the UN functions. Since learning about the international system I have a lot of hope for the future, because there's so many amazing people doing amazing things. I highly encourage everyone to do it.

Why did you decide to continue your studies with the Master of International Relations?

I didn't feel ready to leave uni. My bachelor was ending but I felt like I'd just worked out what I'm doing and what I'm passionate about. It took a while to click for me because I tried everything, all different electives. Only close to the end I found what suited me was gender in the political sense. So I thought, I kind of want to specialise in this gender thing, how can I do that? And then I discovered the masters, where you could specialise in gender, peace and security.

I wanted to be better versed in gender. I'm really passionate about gender topics, as being a woman, it affects your daily life. I thought I should upskill my knowledge so that I can be better at making a difference in my career. There’s also that employability edge. I see an international career for myself, so I wanted a masters to be able to facilitate working overseas.

What key skills that you learned in your bachelor/master have transferred into the workplace?

Critical thinking. I don't think we talk about its importance enough. Everyone focuses too much on the assignments themselves, rather than learning how to ask questions. I see myself applying this thinking even just watching the news now. I think, what information are they omitting? Who's telling the story? Why are they telling it in this way? So when you're presented with information, it’s about trying to understand where it's coming from and what’s the story they’re trying to tell, so that you can see through it and pull out the really good stuff.

In politics, it can be really divisive and controversial. Being able to ask the right questions and pull things apart actually helps everyone find a middle ground. That's what you're taught at Monash and in a Global Studies degree. How to work with others who see differently and how to talk to them, and find discourse. In the work I do for the UN, a lot of it is discussing with other people who will have vastly different worldviews, and finding those common things you're passionate about or want to work towards. We're all trying to achieve the same thing, we just get there differently.

What has your role as 2023 Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations looked like so far and what are the projected outcomes of this role?

I was honoured to get it, there's only one representative for the country. I’ll admit I’m feeling a bit of imposter syndrome, but I’ve talked to the past youth reps and they all felt it as well. Basically, I get to travel Australia attempting to consult, talk to, and most importantly listen, to as many different groups and communities as possible. I've been able to go to Townsville, Sunshine Coast, Adelaide, Perth, and Sydney so far, and I intend to travel more. I'm really trying to hit regional areas as well.

I’m consulting with anyone under the age of 25 in Australia, finding out what they care about and what are the key issues affecting them. I take that information to the United Nations and other key stakeholders - such as government - to create a united voice for young people in Australia. What's interesting about that, is it might not necessarily be a very clear image because young people are not homogenous, they're very diverse in opinion. I really want to present the messiness of it all to the world and say this is who we are, this is what we're experiencing, and this is what we care about. We're not a checkbox, we're not one line, we are dynamic and we're the future generation. It's exciting to be able to represent where we are at this point in time.

The expected outcome is that I get to go to the UN to represent young people. There'll also be a report that comes out that will hopefully be really representative of young people in Australia. It’s a very busy 12 months, but it’s very exciting.

Tell us about your role as Impact Coordinator for the Cotton On Foundation.

I learned at Monash that you get out what you put in, and pushing yourself to find those extra opportunities is what gets you far. That's how I got my job at the Cotton On Foundation. It wasn't just an application, it was working my way up from roles in stores all the way to head office, transcending from retail to development. I was only able to do that because I'd learned how to navigate my own path that's not linear.

My current work is in international developments across multiple different styles of projects in multiple regions, countries and contexts. The intercultural communication that I learned at university, especially through such things as Model UN, really comes in handy there.

My job also requires me to be a data analyst, and I think the only reason I've been able to learn how to do that on the job is because I was taught how to be adaptable, and how to ask questions and seek out the knowledge I need. I think you're always going to be learning on the job no matter what, so being able to have that open mindset is what keeps you going, and what makes you good at what you do.

Could you tell us about the publication Six Months Later?

I was involved with some people from MIAS in evacuating 11 Afghan youth leaders, women's rights activists, and their family members from Kabul as the Taliban took control. It involved about eight students and a couple of Monash staff including Professors Jacqui True and Sharon Pickering. There were lots of late night phone calls and WhatsApp messages, all to coordinate their evacuation.

We saw with the rolling back of rights for women, many of our colleagues over there could no longer continue their education at university if they were female. The publication came as a result of that. We wanted to assist them to continue studying, for those that we couldn't for whatever reason evacuate.

The publication was spearheaded by the Monash Gender Peace and Security centre with Professor Jacqui True. Alongside one of our Afghan scholars, Zahra Karimi, and one of my MIAS peers, Georgia Potter, we worked together on it. We had very late night zoom calls with our colleagues in Afghanistan to help them study. The two I was helping decided to write about why the Afghan army was not equipped to handle a withdrawal, and the influx of the Taliban.

I learned a lot. Not only scholastically, but personally as well. Working with people who are in a very different situation to me, it turned theory into practice. No longer was it just a textbook or a seminar, I was talking to people where this affects their daily life, and then writing about their life in an academic sense. I'm really proud of my work with that. It’s probably the best thing I've done with Monash, being able to see tangible change in that way.

Did you gain any mentoring or internship experience at Monash?

I was a mentor to first year students through Access Monash, and I found that really rewarding. I mentored a group, I helped get two of them on exchange, and one of them came to New York with me in April. I told her about Model UN and she was really interested. She was hesitant to apply, but I was a first year when I applied and got in, so I encouraged her. She just needed that push, because next thing she was there with me in New York and she did amazingly.

I gained a lot from being a mentor, because I personally felt very lost at the start of university. I came from a very small school to what I perceived as this massive place. I was tempted to drop out my second year, until I got into the Model UN programme. I found people I connected with, and it all fell into place from there. I no longer wanted to leave. Mentoring others has helped me do things better in my professional career. It was a point of reflection, to ask, how did I do that? How did I get there? Once I narrowed that down for them, then I could do it for myself and take my own advice.

My internship was in a development sort of space, similar to the job I have now. So I could draw on that experience a bit for the work I do now. One thing I learned in that internship was that doing things my way was okay. There were these PowerPoint presentations we had to do, and I'm the kind of girl who likes to bedazzle a PowerPoint. They had their standard company template, but I decided I’m going to bedazzle this a bit, and they loved it. So I do that in my current workplace and my colleagues always look forward to my presentations.

What advice would you give to future Bachelor of Global Studies students?

You get out what you put in. The degree is great, but it's not everything. You need to put it into action, and getting involved in clubs and societies is the easiest way to do that. You're going to meet people, which is critical. So many of the people you are in a cohort with are going to go on to do really awesome things, and you want to be there for that journey, you want to watch them and learn from them. You're making networks, you’re making connections before they get those amazing roles, which is really cool. And you're learning skills by working on a team and a committee or running an event or a programme and being involved. They're the things that put the theory into practice for you, and that's a really key marker in your learning growth journey. Put yourself out there and find those opportunities, because they're not going to find you. You've got to be the one to throw your hat in the ring. You can always turn down an opportunity, but you will never be offered an opportunity if you never apply. So apply, to anything and everything, even if you're not fully qualified. Go for it, you will learn on the job.

UN Youth Representative website: https://ausyouthrep.unyouth.org.au/