Australian Government selects African Australia Awards Scholars for 2015

The Australian Government has selected some 200 professionals from 22 African countries to take up Australia Awards Scholarships at Masters and PhD level at Australian universities from January 2015.

To prepare recipients to live and study in Australia, the Australian Government will host three-day pre-departure workshops in Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa and  Zambia from 21 October to 19 November.

At the workshops, recipients will be thoroughly briefed on how to successfully relocate and approach their studies in Australia. Recipients will also discuss their plans to use their newly acquired skills and knowledge to contribute to their countries’ development outcomes upon their return to work in Africa at the completion of their studies.

To congratulate Africa’s recipients, high-profile receptions will be held in the six countries. Members from Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) will be in attendance.

Africa’s Scholarship recipients for 2015 are spread across a range of priority fields, including Agriculture and Food Security, Health, Mining and Natural Resource Management, Public Policy and Water and Sanitation. While the Masters and PhD awards have been allocated across 22 countries, some of the countries receiving especially high numbers of scholarships include Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

Head of the Australian Government’s aid program in Africa, Jamie Isbister, said the Government was extremely delighted with the calibre of recipients who will begin their studies in 2015.

“The Australian Government’s objective is to provide high-quality education and training to talented African professionals who will be in a position, on their return home, to make an important contribution to the development of their countries and Africa,” he said.

The Australian Government opened applications for the latest round of Australia Awards Scholarships and the shorter-term Australia Awards Fellowships on 1 September 2014.  Applications for Scholarships to commence in 2016 close on 12 December 2014.