Australia Awards South and West Asia

Australia Awards has released its 2024 Year in Review for Bhutan and India, showcasing significant achievements and outcomes from last year. This document highlights the impact of Australia Awards through Scholarships, short-term training and alumni engagement.

Key highlights from the Year in Review for Bhutan include:

• Twenty-nine scholars from Bhutan complete their masters’ level courses, the highest number in seven years. A further six scholars from India completed their degrees, and all 35 returned home as alumni.
• Bhutan hosted the 2024 Regional Alumni Workshop, where 42 participants from South Asia and Mongolia, including four from India and six from Bhutan, strengthened their networks and advanced their efforts in gender equality, aligning with the theme ‘Bridging the Gender Gap and Supporting Local Women Leaders’.
• Scholars from Bhutan and India participated in Indigenous engagement activities across Australia, learning about the history, culture, and achievements of Australia’s First Nations peoples.
• Forty-two participants from India took part in eight Australian Professional Opportunities, strengthening cooperation between India and Australia.

Referring back to his time as a scholar, Indian alumnus Sareem Sandeed said, “My time in Australia as an Australia Awards scholar was a journey of learning and growth in ways I never expected. Beyond the classroom, I took advantage of a number of enriching professional and personal opportunities that made the Australia Awards journey special.” Sareem Sandeed completed a Master of Data Science and Innovation at the University of Technology Sydney in 2024.

Bhutanese scholar Jigme Lhazen, currently pursuing a Master of Construction Management at the University of Adelaide, shared her thoughts on her Australia Awards Scholarship: “The experience I have gained through Australia Awards transcends my educational journey. It has presented me with opportunities and platforms to build networks and share ideas that have had a lasting impact on me as an individual. I hope to share these experiences with people when I return home.”

Access the full report: Year in Review 2024 – Bhutan and India