The Australian High Commission celebrates achievements of Australian Awardees and the Alumni Community

The Australian High Commission hosted a reception to celebrate Australian Awardees (Australian Government scholarships) who will be shortly departing to Australia to take up their Masters scholarships.

The evening is also celebrating students who have returned from Australian studies in 2019, previous Australian Awards Ambassadors as well as the acheivements of the extended Australian Alumni family.

Six professionals from Mauritius have been awarded prestigious Masters scholarships to undertake studies in Australian universities in 2020 under the Australian Government’s flagship programme Australia Awards – Africa.

The successful scholars include: Mr Shiva Mauree (Ministry of Health), Ms Shaneeza Fugurally (Ministry of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research), Ms Emilline Law Kwang (Ministry of Civil Service & Administrative Reforms), Ms Parbatee Seewoogalam (Mahatma Gandhi Institute), Ms Komal Poonith (the District Council of Grant Port) and Mr Yashvin Heeramun, from the Ministry of the Blue Economy, Fisheries and Shipping, who will study a Master of Science and James Cook University – departing in 2021.

Australia also runs short course awards through is Australia Awards program and 2019 receipients of Awards have been: Mr Kanden Armoogum, Mauritius Institute of Training and Development – Ministry of Education and Human Resources who studiesd the Technical Vocational Education & Training (TVET) Trainer Development, Ms Urvasi Gowtam Santokhee Chinniah, Mauritius Qualifications Authority – who studies Technical Vocational Education & Training (TVET) Trainer Development, Mr Subiraj Bhunjun, Mauritius Qualifications Authority, who studied Technical Vocational Education & Training (TVET) Trainer Development, Ms Naaziah Busawon, Mauritius Economic Development Board who studied Ocean Governance and sustainable fisheries and Mr Vencatesen Ponin, Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity, Environment and Sustainable Development – who studied Climate Change Adaptation.

Australian High Commissioner to Mauritius Ms Jenny Dee and The Hon. Teeruthraj Hurdoyal, Minister of Public Service, Administrative and Institutional Reforms also awarded Australian Awards Ambassadors with plaques of appreciation for their work in promoting Australian Awards to Government, Private and NGO sectors. The Awards Ambassadors include Leesta Moteea (2013-2014), Deeptee Bungaree-Gooheeram (2014-2015), Kevin Koonjul (2015-2017) and Vikash Munbodhe (2017-2019).

Ms Dee congratulated all the Australian Awardees for their successful selection in this competitive Awards program and highlighted Australia’s commitment to gender equality and women in leadership across all sectors of society – government, business and the community sector.

“The Australian Government is committed to building human capacity in priority sectors in Mauritus. We wish our new Awardees embrace the opportunity and maximize exposure to as much learning and development as possible in Australia – as Australia’s former foreign Minster said – “Australia is a lifestyle superpower”. Tonight we are also celebrating the on-going successes of our wider Alumni family – our Alumni publication of 2018 provides excellent examples or the work our Alumni community are doing. We look forward to your ongoing leadership and the contribution each of you will make to your nation to support the sustainable socio-economic development of the region as part of our global Australian alumni community,” Ms Dee said.