Mauritians and Malagasy professionals awarded Australian scholarships

The Australian Government has selected five professionals from Mauritius and four professionals from Madagascar to take up Australia Awards Scholarships at Masters Level at Australian universities from January 2017. 

The awardees are: [for Mauritius] – Ms Sabina Jugurnauth (Ministry of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family), Ms Rajeshreebhye Mahadea-Nemdharry (Mauritius Sugarcane Research Institute), Mr Mirnal Mungra (Central Water Authority), Mr Judex Payandy (Ministry of Education), Ms Lila Seewoosurrun-Sadaful (Ministry of Housing and Lands) and [for Madagascar] – Mr Tantely Andriamaharo Ny Aina (Ministry of Fisheries), Ms Herizo Harimalala Tsiverisoa (Ministry of Mines), Mr Jean Rakotonirina (Ministry of Justice) and Ms Nantenaina Rasolonirina (National Office of Mines).

Ms Harimalala Tsiverisoa from Madagascar was also awarded the Sandra Vegting Leadership Award which was established by the Australian Government to remember the life and achievements of HE Sandra Vegting, Australia’s High Commissioner to Mauritius from 2011-2014.  The Sandra Vegting Leadership Prize is awarded annually to the most outstanding Australia Awards - Scholarships recipient from Mauritius and Madagascar.  The prize comprises leadership training and support for the successful candidate in addition to a Master’s program in their chosen field.

In order to prepare the recipients to live and study in Australia, the Australian Government hosted a two-day workshop at the Labourdonnais Waterfront Hotel from 20 – 21 October. At the workshops, recipients were thoroughly briefed on how to successfully relocate and how to approach their studies in Australia. Recipients also discussed their plans to use their new skills to contribute to their countries’ development on their return to Africa upon completion of their studies.

“The Australian Government’s objective is to provide high-quality education and training to talented Mauritian and Malagasy professionals who will be in a position, on their return home, to make an important contribution to national development,” said HE Susan Coles, Australian High Commissioner.

A number of Australia Awards Fellowships in Science centre capacity-building leadership training, Enhancing fishery management capacity in the Indian Ocean region and Extractive Industries: Effective Governance, Taxation and Financial Management were also recently awarded to Mauritians, Seychellois and Malagasy nationals.

Since 2011, Australia has offered more than 3,700 Australia Awards to African scholars and professionals in areas where Australia is recognised as having world-leading expertise, including agriculture and food security, health, mining and natural resource management, public policy (including public private partnerships, blue/ocean economy) and water and sanitation.

The Australian Government opened applications for the latest round of Australia Awards Scholarships (Masters Level) and Australia Awards Short Courses (short-term scholarships) on 1 September 2016.  Closing dates for the scholarships are as follows:

Australia Awards Scholarships (Masters Level): 15 December 2016

• Applications will be considered for study in sectors identified by Mauritius as development priorities including in the field of areas of Agricultural Productivity, Extractives,  Public Policy (particularly blue/ocean economic policy, including trade policy).

Australia Awards Short Courses (short-term scholarships): 15 January 2016

• Applications will be considered for study in sectors identified by Mauritius as development priorities including in the field of areas of Agricultural Productivity, Extractives and Public Policy

Australia Awards promotes equal participation by both women and men with the aim of achieving gender balance. The initiative also aims to ensure that people with disabilities are given a fair and equal opportunity to compete for and obtain scholarships. The Australian Government has put arrangements in place to support applicants and Awardees requiring specific assistance. Since 2011, 121 Mauritians and 98 Malagasy have been awarded Australia Awards.