111 new scholars to Australia

MANILA, Philippines - A new batch of Australia Awards scholars from the Philippines is set to leave in January 2013 to pursue post-graduate studies in prestigious universities in Australia, home to eight of the top 100 universities in the world, according to the 2011-12 World University Rankings.

“Australia Awards will allow these Filipino leaders to further hone their skills and competencies in Australia’s premier learning and research institutions. Their learning will equip them to take on more significant and more challenging roles in the development of the Philippines,” said Andrew Byrne, Australian embassy Deputy Head of Mission, who congratulated the scholars at their recent pre-departure briefing.

Australia Awards are a cornerstone of Australia-Philippines relations and provide lasting contribution to Philippine development through education. Thousands of Filipinos have studied in Australia since the 1950s.

The scholars defined their re-entry action plans (REAP), which include projects that they will implement when they return, to put into practice what they learned from their studies in Australia.

Hundreds of groundbreaking REAP projects have been implemented all over the country as the returning scholars share their learning with their communities or their sponsoring agencies.

Application for the next batch of Australia Awards scholarships for academic term 2014-2015 will start on Feb. 1, 2013. Further information on www.australiaawards.ph.