Australia Awards South and West Asia

In June, five Australia Awards alumni from India had the opportunity to meet with Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Richard Marles MP.

Photo: Alumni meet the Deputy Prime Minister. From left to right: Emily Megow (Australian High Commission, India), Ashwarya Tyagi, the Hon Richard Marles MP, Gayatri Pande, Pratik Ranjan Yadav, Lakshay Jain and Nitin Kadian.

The Deputy Prime Minister’s visit marked five years since the signing of the Australia–India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, of which education is a key pillar. The Australian High Commission invited the alumni to meet with Mr Marles following his address at the University of Melbourne’s Melbourne Global Centre in New Delhi, where he celebrated the strength of Australia–India education ties.

Following the meeting, Australia Awards alumna Gayatri Pande reflected on her experience as an Australia Awards scholar completing a Master of Environmental and Resource Economics at the Australian National University.  “Having had the privilege of studying in this incredible country, I’ve experienced first-hand how education can deepen mutual understanding, foster enduring connections, and drive meaningful collaboration between our two nations,” she said.

She added “My time in Australia deeply enriched my understanding of bilateral engagements. Studying and living in a multicultural society, and participating in academic and policy dialogues across the region, offered me fresh perspectives on how partnerships like that of India and Australia are built — not just through strategic agreements, but through shared experiences, values, and people-to-people connections. It helped me see bilateral relations not as abstract foreign policy, but as lived, evolving relationships shaped by dialogue, trust, and mutual respect.”

Fellow Australia Awards alumnus Lakshay Jain who completed a Master of Economics at the University of Sydney, said “Education is at the cornerstone of this crucial [Australia–India] partnership and various programs such as the Australia Awards, of which we alumni form a part, are playing an important role to cement the relationship.”

Pratik Ranjan Yadav, who completed a Master of Engineering Science at the University of New South Wales with the support of an Australia Awards Scholarship said, “It was a privilege to personally meet Mr Marles and connect with leaders from the Australian High Commission, fellow Australia Awards alumni, and inspiring individuals who are shaping the future of Australia–India relations through education and collaboration.”