Mr Kiran Iyer

Mr Kiran Iyer (Bachelor of Arts (Hons)/Bachelor of Law)

Alumni Student Award

Monash student Mr Kiran Iyer is in his final year of an arts/law degree. His strong academic record, debating success and willingness to lead demonstrate his outstanding contribution to the University.

Mr Iyer has shown tremendous voluntary service to Monash, particularly through his skill in debating. A world debating champion, he has been involved in the Monash Association of Debaters (MAD) since 2006.

Since then he has participated in many internal debating competitions and represented Monash at national and international debating tournaments. This culminated in him winning, with team mate Amit Golder, the 2012 World Universities Debating Championships (Worlds).

Kiran was also part of the team that won the 2012 Australasian Debating Championships (Australs). Prior to these major wins, Kiran was an Australs grand finalist (2008), a quarter finalist and third best speaker (2010), and an octo finalist (2007). He was also a top 20 speaker at the Botswana Worlds in 2011.

Mr Iyer has demonstrated a strong ability to lead. He has served in various volunteer roles on the Monash Association of Debaters executive including as president in 2010, vice-president in 2008 and sponsorship officer in 2011. In these roles he led students both locally and internationally and mentored students in debating. 

He has extensive judging experience and performed the role of Deputy Chief Adjudicator at the 2012 Australian Intervarsity Debating Championships. He also adjudicated the semi finals of the Australian Intervarsity Debating Championships in 2009, 2010 and 2011 and the Worlds quarter final in 2010. He has used the skills developed as a debater to work as a volunteer teacher in Laos.

His enthusiasm to be involved in Faculty of Law events and activities is highly regarded. In addition to leading the student team to victory against alumni in the Great Law Week Debate in 2011, he has acted as a Law School Ambassador, representing and promoting the faculty at student, alumni and industry events. He also offers his skills as a trainer, tutoring law students in debating and mooting.  

Mr Iyer has a range of academic interests embracing law and the humanities but his main study focus is on constitutional advocacy. In 2011 he completed a two month internship with United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in Washington DC. He currently works in the Faculty of Law as personal research assistant to the Louis Waller Chair of Law and Associate Dean (Research), Professor Bryan Horrigan.

View Mr Iyer's profile video

Text version

View Mr Iyer's acceptance speech