Zambians and Malawians gain prestigious Australia Award Scholarships to study in Australia
Twenty seven Zambians and Malawians are among the 200 professionals from 22 African countries who have won Australia Awards Scholarships at Masters and PhD level at Australian universities in 2015. These highly competitive scholarships are offered to mid-career professionals from the public and private sectors, and are designed to improve skills in their chosen fields of work.
The Australian Government considers the Australia Awards a key part of its contribution to the development of African countries, and a means of promoting strong people-to-people links between the two continents. Zambia and Malawi have been among the biggest recipients of Awards in Africa, with 425 short and long term Awards provided since 2007.
To help prepare scholarship holders from Zambia and Malawi to live and study in Australia, the Australian Government hosted a three-day workshop in Lusaka, starting 20 October. The workshop helped Awardees prepare for travel to Australia and to plan for their return to work at the end of their studies. Many previous Australia Award recipients have made significant contributions to diverse key sectors across Africa upon return from Australia, including agriculture, natural resource management, health and public policy.
The workshop culminated in a reception held in honour of the departing Awardees by His Excellency Matthew Neuhaus, Australian High Commissioner to Zambia and Malawi. The reception was attended by prominent Australians working in Zambia, Australian volunteers delivering various water and infrastructure activities in the region, Australian Honorary Consul to Zambia, Mr Saul Radunski, and representatives of the Malawian and Zambian government and business community. The Awardees also had the honour of meeting Mr Roger Chongwe, former Zambian Minister of Justice and one of the first recipients of an Australian scholarship in 1963.
At the reception High Commissioner Neuhaus recognized the importance of the Awards program, having witnessed first-hand the value of the skills and relationships provided to Zambian and Malawian recipients through study in Australia. “I am happy to see our Awards contribute so strongly to economic growth and development in Zambia, Malawi and other parts of Africa”, High Commissioner Neuhaus said, “and I know that the relationships that are built through these Awards will endure and deliver benefits for many years to come”.
There are opportunities for Malawians and Zambians to apply for the next round of long- and short-term scholarships, commencing studies in 2016. Applications opened on 1 September 2014. Australia Awards have a strong emphasis on equal opportunity, promoting equal participation by both women and men, and ensuring that people with disability also have opportunities to participate.
More detail on the Awards pre-departure briefing and Awards reception can be found at http://www.australiaawardsafrica.org/news/celebrating-zambia-and-malawis-2015-australia-awards-recipients/’
More information on Australia Awards in Africa is available on the website: www.australiaawardsafrica.org
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For more information please contact:
Daniel Kark, Second Secretary - Development Cooperation, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +263 772 131 395, +263 4 852 471
OR
Temana Mabula, Communications Officer, Australia Awards
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +27 12 362 4360
Fax: +27 12 362 4361