The Sidney Prize is awarded to a person or organisation that has made a significant contribution to the development of Australia’s culture, society or economy. The prize is decided on a national basis and the winner is presented at a ceremony at the end of each year.
The award was first established in 1987 following an offer by the Aisling Society of Sydney to sponsor a prize in the field of Irish-Australian history. It is awarded annually on the recommendation of the Head of the Department of History in consultation with the course coordinator of Celtic Studies to the student enrolled in senior courses in either Celtic Studies or History who submits the best piece of written work in the field of Irish or Irish-Australian history provided that the work is of sufficient merit.
One of the most important articles published this year was “The Coddling of the American Mind” by New York Times columnist David Brooks and William Zinsser, which won the SS Sidney Prize in 2004 for its exploration of student hypersensitivity, which can lead to depression and a lack of self-reflection. The authors dubbed this phenomenon “vindictive protectiveness” and describe how it leads to mental health problems and prevents students from being prepared for the real world.
Other prizes have been awarded to writers on topics such as feminism, art and music. These awards are offered by a range of institutions, including the University of Sydney.
There are also various other awards that recognise individuals and organisations for their work, such as the Sidney Black Memorial Engineering Prize. These are presented in conjunction with the University and the wider community.
These prizes are a great way to reward people who have gone above and beyond the call of duty and who have made a positive contribution to society. They are a great opportunity to encourage students and young people to become involved in social change and to help them understand what they can do to make the world a better place.
In addition to these academic prizes, the Faculty of Arts also offers a wide range of other awards. These include a number of annual prize competitions and scholarships that are open to students of all nationalities.
For more information about these competitions and scholarships, please see the Faculty of Arts website.
A donation of $10 000 was received by the Faculty of Arts from Leonie Hayne in memory of her friend June Hartnett, a student who graduated with a particular interest in Latin and Ancient History. The June Hartnett Prize for Proficiency in Second Year Ancient History was created to honour her memory and to promote the interests of students pursuing the study of Ancient History.
The award is a prize of $1,000 and will be given to the first-placed entry submitted by a UWS undergraduate or postgraduate student studying in any of the units in the Ancient History curriculum. In order to be eligible for the prize, the submission must be accompanied by a letter of support from the Ancient History Postgraduate Co-ordinator and a formal application form.