Australia awards 10 short –term scholarships to Mauritius

The Australian Government has awarded 10 short-term scholarships to Mauritius through the Australia Awards Program. The Australia Awards Program was introduced in 2010 in Mauritius. Last year 3 short-term scholarships were awarded to Mauritius.

The short-term scholarship program is highly competitive and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) received more than 1000 applications from 49 African countries this year for 350 scholarships on offer.

The Mauritian awardees of the 2012 Australian short-term scholarships are:

Nirmala Bheenick (Ministry of Tertiary Education, Science, Research and Technology), Joshila Dhawka-Gungabissoon (Ministry of Education and Human Resources National Education Counselling Service), Jay Doobaly (Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development), Leena Jhottee (Ministry of Agro Industry and Food Security), Sattamah Millien (Ministry of Civil Service & Administration), Sheereemattee Mohit Juliette (Ministry of Civil Service & Administrative Reforms), Subhdra Panchoo (Ministry of Civil Service and Administrative Reforms), Natasha Ponen (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade – International Trade Division), Gitanjali Ruhee (Mauritius Examinations Sydndicate) and Devika Saddul (Agricultural Research Extension Unit).

The successful recipients will undertake courses in Public Policy – Organisational Development, Teacher Skills, Trade Policy Design, Analysis and Negociation, Technical and Vocational Education and Training Policy Reform and Agricultural – Livestock.

The Australia Awards Program is a central part of the Australian Government's development cooperation programme in Africa. By providing people with the knowledge and skills to promote development in their home country, the Program aims to contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in Africa.

Since the program’s introduction, 10 short-term scholarships and 21 long-term (masters) scholarships have been awarded to Mauritius (2 of these included the prestigious Australian Leadership Awards – Mauritius took 2 of these from a total of 20 which were awarded to the whole of Africa.

Further information on the program is available on www.adsafrica.com.au