UTAS students catch up with Minister for Foreign Affairs, Bob Carr
Speaking at an International Women’s Day event recently, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Bob Carr, congratulated four female Australia Awards scholarship recipients and heard first-hand how Australia is directly assisting women from overseas to access education opportunities.
Senator Carr met the scholars who have secured a prestigious Australia Award to study at the University of Tasmania and heard their stories of how they plan to use their studies when they return home.
"The Australia Awards offer men and women with leadership potential the chance to study, research and undertake professional development at Australia’s world-class institutions," Senator Carr Said.
"Importantly, many of the Awardees come from developing countries, and return home with new skills and knowledge, enabling them to make a significant contribution to development."
The Australia Awards recipients have a keen interest in development issues, including Ms Silvana Fumega from Argentina who is currently undertaking a Doctor of Philosophy (Law) and Graduate Certificate in Research at the University of Tasmania.
Before coming to Australia, Ms Fumega worked as an independent consultant in the freedom of information field for organisations such as the World Bank Institute, Transparency International and the Regional Alliance for the Freedom of Expression and Access to Information.
"After finishing my PhD I plan to create greater transparency in the public sector in Argentina in particular, and the Latin America region in general," Ms Fumega said.
"I plan to achieve it by strengthening access to information regimes and increasing links between academia and practitioners.
"Inclusive governance could be considered one of the major challenges faced by developing countries in achieving sustainable economic and social development."
Durga Bista from Nepal, who is undertaking a Doctor of Philosophy (Pharmacy), plans to use her studies to help improve the assessment, detection and prevention of adverse drug reactions in the Nepalese health sector.
Duyen Nguyen from Vietnam is undertaking a Master of Applied Science (Agricultural Science) and will be using her newly gained knowledge and skills to help improve agricultural production in her home country.
Alice Gombanila from Tanzania is developing skills in public sector policy formulation and reforms as part of her Master of Public Policy degree.
"Australia Awards build leadership capacity as well as vital people-to-people links between Australia and the broader international community," Senator Carr said.
"We know education is a powerful tool and is essential to sustainable development and improved living standards."
In 2012, the Australian Government invested $334.2 million in the Australia Awards, enabling 4,900 recipients from more than 140 countries to undertake study, research and professional development.
L-R: Alice Gonambila, Durga Bista, Bob Carr, Silvana Fumega, Duyen Nguyen. (Photo: Kiersten Dybing / Australia Awards Office.)