As twins, Alexander and Ivan Oulianoff have been walking in step for most of their lives, and after attending secondary school together they decided to undertake the same double degree at Flinders.

The brothers will collect their Commerce degrees during this week’s graduation ceremonies, having already attended a ceremony in December to receive their degrees in Law and Legal Practice.

Although their qualifications are identical, graduation looks as if it will mark a fork in the road for the pair. Ivan, who is currently working in financial services, is looking to put his law degree to use, while Alexander is committed to an accounting job in local government.

Although working in commerce, Alexander said that his legal knowledge was proving useful.

“With a law degree, even without having a job as a litigator, you still apply the knowledge every day in the way you work and everything you do, and legislation has a big effect on local government,” he said.

Ivan is still weighing up his employment options.

“There is definitely a lot of potential and doors that are open,” he said.
“When you look in the jobs in the newspaper, you could pretty much apply for any of them: it’s quite a good and powerful position to be in.”

While the five-and-a-half years of study had been demanding, Ivan said that he and his brother had thrown themselves into university life, and were enthusiastic members of the Flinders Law Students Association.

“You don’t feel as if you’re doing your degree alone – you have a peer support group, and it made the years go really quickly.” Ivan said.
“And how many people can say they got to feed the ducks in their breaks?” Alexander added.

The pair said that their father, Stephan, who has owned and run a stall at the Central Market for the past 30 years, has been a constant support during their education, as was their mother up until her death during their first year at Flinders.

The twins say their father was behind the idea of attending two graduation ceremonies.

“Dad likes the idea of separating them, so we thought it would be good to celebrate it twice, because going through the degrees is a big achievement for him and for us.”