Australia Awards South and West Asia

In April, Australia Awards alumni from across South Asia and Mongolia gathered in Colombo for the 2025 Regional Alumni Workshop. The event, which had the theme of “From inclusion to equity: Development for all”, provided a platform for alumni to share their success and challenges in working for, and with, people with disability and traditionally marginalised communities. The workshop also provided the alumni the opportunity to build networks with counterparts working in similar fields.  

Two alumni, Arefeen Ahmed from Bangladesh and Tuan Rushdi from Sri Lanka, connected through a shared commitment to advancing disability inclusion across the region, highlighting new opportunities for collaboration.

During a group brainstorming session at the workshop, Tuan, an expert on disability inclusion, shared the challenges he faced in his then role, supporting people with disability to find meaningful employment who might otherwise never enter the corporate workforce. The participating alumni enthusiastically shared ideas for increasing employment pathways for people with disability, drawing from their own experiences and perspectives.

Tuan delivering closing remarks at the 2025 Regional Alumni Workshop in Colombo.

Arefeen, the Founder and Lead Consultant of Jigsaw Consultants, Bangladesh’s first inclusive service hub for people with disability, was inspired by Tuan’s extensive experience in disability rights and capacity development. Their conversations led to a meaningful exchange of ideas and strategies.

Following their initial meeting, Arefeen invited Tuan to share his insights with the Jigsaw team. Tuan described his work with multinational companies and social enterprises, where he led successful capacity development and awareness-raising initiatives to promote diverse workforces and inclusive hiring practices. He emphasised how strategic collaboration and values-driven corporate responsibility can transform workplace cultures and open meaningful opportunities for people with disability.

Arefeen (front row, left) pictured at the conclusion of the 2025 Regional Alumni Workshop with fellow Bangladeshi alumni and Matthew Lapworth (second from right, back row), former Director of the South and Central Asia Development Section at Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Building on this, Tuan provided the Jigsaw team with tailored guidance on strengthening their own corporate social responsibility and advocacy efforts.

Their collaboration emphasised the importance of regional knowledge-sharing and highlighted the untapped potential of people with disability as contributors to economic and social development.

“Tuan helped us uphold the belief that the solution lies in ability, not limitations,” said Arefeen. “His insights are helping us refine our approach to workplace inclusion and advocacy.”

This story demonstrates the power of the Australia Awards alumni network in fostering cross-border partnerships, amplifying local impact, and driving inclusive change across South Asia and Mongolia.