Named in honour of eminent scientist, inventor of the bionic ear, and Scots Old Boy Professor Graeme Clark AC ('51), the annual Clark Lecture Series aims to inspire the best of thinking about faith, learning and leadership by bringing to Sydney the world’s finest Christian scholars.
Since its inception in 2014, it has featured the likes of an MIT nuclear physicist and one of the world’s fifty most influential living philosophers, and made a signal contribution to intellectual life at the College and beyond through the Fellows’ numerous university, school and media appearances.
Rather than see experts ‘fly in and fly out’ for single events, the Clark Fellowship is unique in hosting a scholar in residence at the College for between one and six weeks, allowing boys, teachers and the community extended opportunities to rub shoulders with world-class thinkers. For boys, such experiences raise their sights to study at the best universities in the world and pursue the art of scholarship, as has been the case for several Ashburnians - members of the College's scholarly honour society - now studying at universities such as Oxford, Pennsylvania and St Andrews. For teachers, the Fellowship helps renew a passion for ideas and for going beyond the techniques of teaching and towards the formation of deep expertise. Forming such a culture of scholarship lies at the heart of our strategy for reinventing education, and reflects our founding vocation of pursuing ‘higher learning for the common weal’.
Since its inception in 2014, it has featured the likes of an MIT nuclear physicist and one of the world’s fifty most influential living philosophers, and made a signal contribution to intellectual life at the College and beyond through the Fellows’ numerous university, school and media appearances.
Rather than see experts ‘fly in and fly out’ for single events, the Clark Fellowship is unique in hosting a scholar in residence at the College for between one and six weeks, allowing boys, teachers and the community extended opportunities to rub shoulders with world-class thinkers. For boys, such experiences raise their sights to study at the best universities in the world and pursue the art of scholarship, as has been the case for several Ashburnians - members of the College's scholarly honour society - now studying at universities such as Oxford, Pennsylvania and St Andrews. For teachers, the Fellowship helps renew a passion for ideas and for going beyond the techniques of teaching and towards the formation of deep expertise. Forming such a culture of scholarship lies at the heart of our strategy for reinventing education, and reflects our founding vocation of pursuing ‘higher learning for the common weal’.
Laureate Professor Graeme Clark AC
“He is one of those rare individuals of whom it can be said, ‘They have changed the world.’”
Sir Paul Nurse FRS
President of the Royal Society
Winner of the Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology 2001

Emeritus Professor Graeme Clark AC is an outstanding example of the Scots ethos of faith, learning and leadership. He is best known for developing the ‘bionic ear’ or cochlear implant, which has brought hearing to hundreds of thousands of deaf people around the world and paved the way for significant advances in the science of health care.
Graeme attended The Scots College as a boarder between 1948 and 1951 before going on to study medicine at the University of Sydney and a career as a surgeon, lecturer and researcher at the University of Melbourne. His experience of growing up with a deaf father inspired him to seek to develop an implant to restore hearing, the idea for which he got while playing with a blade of grass and a seashell at the beach.
After years of experimentation and setbacks and the skepticism of his colleagues, Professor Clark’s determination finally resulted in the world’s first successful multi-channel cochlear implant in 1978. Since then over 340,000 adults and children have received the gift of hearing through Graeme’s creativity and perseverance.
Hear more of Professor Clark's story here.
Graeme attended The Scots College as a boarder between 1948 and 1951 before going on to study medicine at the University of Sydney and a career as a surgeon, lecturer and researcher at the University of Melbourne. His experience of growing up with a deaf father inspired him to seek to develop an implant to restore hearing, the idea for which he got while playing with a blade of grass and a seashell at the beach.
After years of experimentation and setbacks and the skepticism of his colleagues, Professor Clark’s determination finally resulted in the world’s first successful multi-channel cochlear implant in 1978. Since then over 340,000 adults and children have received the gift of hearing through Graeme’s creativity and perseverance.
Hear more of Professor Clark's story here.
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"Scots helped me to develop a love and appreciation of the sciences and inspired me to pursue my vision with faith, determination and hard work. I am fortunate to have received a scholarship to attend The Scots College. I owe so much to the Scots advantage."
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About The Scots College, Sydney
The Scots College is one of Australia’s oldest and most respected Presbyterian boys' schools (T-12) located in Sydney's Bellevue Hill with sweeping views of the historic harbour. Since its establishment in 1893 The Scots College has been known for raising fine young men with brave hearts and bold minds.
The ultimate aim of a Scots education is to help students acquire a knowledge of the truth – of God, society and the world – so that they are better prepared to serve in their families and the wider world, to the glory of God and for the welfare of others. The Scots experience fosters leadership, character and spirit that will define the brave hearts and bold minds in every Scots boy.
The ultimate aim of a Scots education is to help students acquire a knowledge of the truth – of God, society and the world – so that they are better prepared to serve in their families and the wider world, to the glory of God and for the welfare of others. The Scots experience fosters leadership, character and spirit that will define the brave hearts and bold minds in every Scots boy.