Media Release
14 December 2022
The Australian Embassy announced the winners of its annual Australian Alumni of the Year Awards on Tuesday 13 December 2022.
The Alumni Awards are the most distinguished honors given to Australian alumni who have made exemplary contributions in their profession and community through outstanding leadership, integrity and hard work.
“Our alumni play an important role in acting as a bridge between both countries; helping Indonesians understand Australia and vice versa,” said Australian Ambassador to Indonesia, Penny Williams PSM.
“There are over 200,000 Australian Alumni in Indonesia, and this year’s award recipients are pioneering forces in their respective fields.”
This year’s winners are:
Winner of 2022 Alumni of the Year – Ms Najwa Shihab, renowned talk show host and founder of Narasi TV. Shihab earned her Masters degree in law from University of Melbourne in 2008. She has received a number of national and international awards for her work as an anchor and reporter, including Runner-up/Highly Commended in the Best Current Affairs Presenter category at the Asian Television Awards in 2007, 2009 and 2011.
Winner of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Award - Dr Syaifullah Muhammad, Head of Atsiri (Essential Oil) Research Centre and Associate Professor at the Chemical Engineering Department of Syiah Kuala University, Banda Aceh, and Head of the Innovation Cluster of the Aceh Patchouli Oil project. Dr Syaifullah obtained his PhD and Masters in Chemical Engineering from Curtin University of Technology.
Winner of the Promoting Women’s Empowerment Award - Dr Antoni Tsaputra, Lecturer, Department of Special Education of Padang State University, Indonesian Chair of the Australia – Indonesia Disability Research and Advocacy Network (AIDRAN), and Board Member of the Indonesian Association of People with Disabilities (PPDI). In 2009, Dr Tsaputra was awarded an Australian Development Scholarship for a Master of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication at Griffith University. In 2020 he completed his PhD in disability policy at the University of New South Wales.
Australia is one of the most popular overseas study destinations for Indonesian students, with around 20,000 enrolments each year. Alumni play a crucial part in deepening cooperation between Australia and Indonesia and in building and supporting business, security and prosperity.
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