Friday, November 29, 2019

23 Nepalis bag Australia Awards Scholarships

The Australian Government has offered 23 Australia Awards Scholarships to emerging leaders from Nepal to study at Australia’s world-class educational institutions in 2020. “Of the 23 awardees for 2020, 14 are from the public sector and 11 are female recipients,” reads a press note issued by the Australian Embassy in Kathmandu. “One applicant with disability has also been selected for the scholarship.”
These Australia Awards scholars were selected through a competitive process taking into account their academic and professional achievements, leadership qualities and most importantly their potential to drive positive change in support of Nepal’s national development,” said Australia’s ambassador to Nepal Peter Budd, at an event organised to bid farewell to the scholars.
Australia Awards scholars gain a quality education in Australia, advance their knowledge and build networks across a range of areas, including economic development, education, gender equality, disability inclusiveness and social inclusion, governance and water resource management. Many alumni of the Australia Awards go on to hold senior positions in business and government on their return home.
“The degree that I have obtained through Australia Award has enriched my analytical capacity,” an Australia Awards alumna Indu Ghimire said, adding that the award, additionally, has also supported her to expand her horizon of thinking to solve public sector issues by using various method of problem analysis. Ghimire is joint secretary at the Home Ministry.
Scholarships have been a key feature of Australia’s foreign policy since the Colombo Plan of the 1950s. Since then, more than 100,000 men and women from around the world have received an Australian Government scholarship to study in Australia, the press note reads, adding that more than 1,000 Nepalis have pursued study and research in Australia under the Australia Awards Scholarships. “The next cycle of Australia Awards Scholarships will open on February 2020.”

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