SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR FILIPINO LEADERS TO STUDY IN AUSTRALIA
The Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Rod Smith has announced that applications are now open for the 2011 Australian Leadership Awards (ALA) – Scholarships. These scholarships are part of the Australia Awards, launched by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in November last year.
“The prestigious ALA Scholarships provide a significant opportunity for leaders or potential leaders in the Philippines to extend their education, strengthen their leadership skills, build networks and develop strategies to address the development challenges we share,” Ambassador Smith said.
Around 170 ALA Scholarships at Masters and Doctorate levels are being offered to students from developing countries, including the Philippines, to study at leading Australian universities in 2011.
Filipino scholars will compete with candidates from around the region and be selected on the basis of demonstrated leadership qualities, academic achievement and, importantly, their potential to contribute to development outcomes for the Philippines on their return. Study programs must relate to the ALA priority areas of focus, which include: disability; economic growth; education; environment; food security; gender; governance; health; human rights; infrastructure; regional stability; rural development and; water & sanitation.
Since 2007, 47 Filipinos have received ALA Scholarships in fields including public administration, public policy, environmental and natural resource management, international trade, international law, justice and law enforcement, and disease pandemics.
As well as providing higher education degrees from world class Australian universities, ALA Scholarships also give awardees the opportunity to participate in a Leadership Development Program to strengthen their leadership skills, establish networks with scholars from other countries and enhance their understanding of regional development challenges.
The Australia Awards, of which the ALA Scholarships are an important part, aim to promote knowledge, education links and enduring ties between Australia and our neighbours. They comprise an achievement stream that targets the best and brightest students, researchers and professionals; and a development stream that builds skills and knowledge in developing countries.
Applications for 2011 ALA Scholarships close on 30 June 2010. For further information, visit http://www.ausaid.gov.au/scholar/ala.cfm. For specific inquiries, interested applicants can email [email protected].