Prestigious Australian global scholarships awarded to high-achieving Indonesians

The Australian Government has awarded prestigious scholarships valued at up to $8.5 million, to 43 high-achieving Indonesians to continue their studies or research in Australia next year.

The scholarships are part of the 2012 “Australia Awards” program, which aims to promote sustainable development and excellence in education around the world. Australian Ambassador to Indonesia, Greg Moriarty, will honour the scholarship recipients in a ceremony in Jakarta on 14 December.

The Indonesian recipients include 26 high-achieving Endeavour Awards recipients, four of whom received the prestigious Prime Minister’s Australia Asia Endeavour Award.

In addition, 17 of Indonesia’s emerging leaders were awarded Australian Leadership Award Scholarships, including four awardees of the Allison Sudrajat Award.

“This is a great achievement for the Indonesian recipients of the Award as they have competed against the best scholars from around the world for these highly prized and prestigious scholarships”, said Ambassador Moriarty.

“Through these scholarships Australia will be supporting Indonesia’s development by supporting its future leaders and scholars in their studies. The scholarships will also build long-term and enduring people-to-people links between Australia and Indonesia”, said Ambassador Moriarty.

Speaking on behalf of the Indonesian recipients, Andrey Damaledo, a recipient of the Allison Sudrajat Award thanked the Australian Government for providing opportunities for his fellow Indonesians to further their study and research in Australia. “I see the Australian Awards as an expression of the excellent Australian-Indonesian partnership. As President Yudhoyono said, "We are not just neighbours. We are not just friends. We are strategic partners". I am convinced that partnership through education is more effective in the long run as it promotes individual, institutional and regional partnership”, he said.

At the ceremony, Ambassador Moriarty also launched the Australia Awards Indonesia 2010 Update publication which looks at the impact Australia Awards has had in Indonesia.

Australia Awards is an Australian Government initiative aimed at strengthening human resource capacity, education linkages, and skills and knowledge throughout the region.

For more information on Australia Awards, please visit www.australiaawards.gov.au

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Ray Marcelo, Counsellor (Public Affairs) tel. (021) 2550 5290 mob. 0811 187 3175