Australia Awards South and West Asia

On 29 October, Australia Awards – Bhutan delivered a Welcome Home Event and Reintegration Workshop for 24 Australia Awards Scholarship alumni who recently returned home after completing their studies in Australia.

The Welcome Home Event was graced by His Excellency Mr Philip Green OAM (Australia’s High Commissioner to India and Ambassador to Bhutan), senior officials from the Australian High Commission in New Delhi and senior representatives from the Royal Government of Bhutan. Ambassador Green warmly welcomed the new alumni and highlighted the close bond between Australia and Bhutan, strengthened further by His Majesty the King of Bhutan’s visit to Australia in October 2024.

Ambassador Green (left) greets Baburam Sherpa (right), Commissioner of the Royal Civil Service Commission.

The Ambassador added that “Australia has supported Bhutan’s human resource development since the 1960s and will continue to invest in Bhutan through scholarships based on mutual understanding and the commitment to support Bhutan’s developmental goals”. He also noted that Australia Awards Scholarships are being used for the genuine benefit of Bhutan and encouraged the new alumni to apply their enhanced knowledge, skills and competencies acquired from their time in Australia to Bhutan’s development efforts.

Commissioner Baburam Sherpa, from the Royal Government of Bhutan’s Royal Civil Service Commission, formally welcomed the new cohort and reiterated the significant contributions they can make towards Bhutan’s transformation initiatives.

After the Welcome Home Event, representatives from the Royal Government of Bhutan delivered presentations about Bhutan’s Thirteenth Five Year Plan: 2024–2029 and civil service reforms that aim to retain talent, accelerate performance and innovation, and revamp the technical and vocational education and training sector and other opportunities to develop skills. The alumni participants engaged in insightful discussions with the government representatives, offering honest and open feedback for improvement in the public and private sectors.

Alumni participating in the workshop together with Ambassador Green (middle, front table), Commissioner Baburam Sherpa (second from left, front table), other Bhutanese government officials, and representatives of the Australian High Commission in New Delhi.

Participants also shared their reintegration experiences and expressed interest in joining alumni networks. Such opportunities were addressed in the presentations delivered by representatives from the Bhutan Australia Alumni Association (BAAA) and the Women in Leadership Network. Additionally, the Deputy Team Leader of the Australia Awards – South Asia & Mongolia Program joined online during the event and highlighted professional development opportunities available for alumni. These opportunities help energise alumni and motivate them to stay connected with Australia and to continue their professional and personal growth. The event also offered an opportunity for BAAA to conduct a membership drive among the recently returned alumni.

Australia Awards continues to make a big difference in individual lives and in the development of partner countries. More than 1,000 Bhutanese professionals have benefited from Australia Awards Scholarships to date, with many shouldering significant roles and contributing substantially to Bhutan’s development. Now that the recent graduates have joined the ranks of these esteemed alumni, we look forward to seeing them each make their own mark.