Regional Alumni Workshop 2020

Celebrating alumni success

27–29 January 2020, Colombo

The upcoming Regional Alumni Workshop will bring together alumni from South and West Asia for a program of professional development and networking.

In line with the theme ‘Celebrating alumni success’ alumni will share their stories, experiences and successes with fellow alumni, and strengthen relevant professional networks across the region by establishing Communities of Practice.

Alumni will receive the opportunity gain further skills in storytelling through a masterclass delivered by purpose-driven film-making agency, Digital Storytellers, in collaboration with Australia Awards.

Alumni will be joined by representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Australia Awards program, and partner organisations in Sri Lanka.

Date Time Activity
Sunday 26 January As per flight schedules Alumni arrive in Colombo
Monday 27 January 8.30–9.00am Registration
9.00–9.45am Event opens
9.45am–5.00pm Storytelling masterclass
6.00–8.00pm Welcome reception
Tuesday 28 January 8.30–8.45am Arrival to workshop
8.45am–4.00pm Continuation of storytelling masterclass
4.00–5.00pm Brief for storytelling competition
Wednesday 29 January 8.45–9.00am Arrival to workshop
9.00am–12.30pm Country-level storytelling competitions
12.30–2.30pm Lunch and informal networking activity
2.30–4.30pm Regional storytelling competition and close of event
Wednesday 29 –Thursday 30 January As per flight schedules Checkout from hotel and departure

*Due to flight times and distance travelled, some alumni will depart on Wednesday 29 and some will depart Thursday 30 January.

Frequently asked questions:

1. For my presentation, do I use the same story submitted in my application or a different/new story?

You should use the story you submitted as it was the basis for selecting you to participate in the Workshop. New details/updates about the story are acceptable.

2. Am I expected to only describe the initiative of the story or should I also talk about the status of its implementation, etc.?

This is your judgment. Some of the sessions during the Masterclass will help you fine-tune your message(s) and will help you decide how to maximize the time allocation (three minutes) provided for the presentation.

3. What is the criteria of attending storytelling competition as a group? Do we all need to present or only one member?

This is a group decision. You may want to consider the time limit, logistical arrangements, and other coordination issues when making a decision.

4. What is the maximum number of slides that I can use for the presentation?

Given the time limit (three minutes), we recommend five to six slides (pictures, videos or combination; minimal or no text).

5. How many visuals can I use in my presentation?

Please make sure it is one consolidated file.

6. I don’t think 3 minutes is enough for my presentation. Can I get more time?

We can only give you three minutes! We encourage you to watch the three-minute thesis videos that are available online to see how the presenters were able to deliver complex messages under time constraint.

7. I don’t have a good quality phone. What do I do?

Having the latest phone is not a requirement. The sessions where you will need a phone with a camera will be group exercises – we will make sure that each group will have a “good” phone available for them to use.

Environmentally-friendly principles

Workshops and conferences are contributors to the global carbon footprint, with travel as a major source of events-related carbon emissions. Other ways by which events add to the carbon footprint are single-use plastics, excessive use of paper / printed materials, and food.

We will make a conscious effort to reduce and offset the carbon footprint created by the Regional Alumni Workshop, including:

  • Arranging direct flights where possible
  • Arranging group transport to and from the airport and encouraging participants to use ride-sharing where possible
  • Minimising the use of non-biodegradable and non-recyclable products
  • Reducing the use of printed materials
  • Arranging one meat-less meal over the duration of the workshop

We encourage you to take proactive steps to ensure the Regional Alumni Workshop is a green event and to think about implementing similar practices when organising activities in your workplaces, communities or in your personal life.

Key speakers and discussion leaders

In order of appearance:

A Storyteller, an Impact Entrepreneur and the Co-Creator at Digital Storytellers, a film-making agency and impact storytelling community based out of Sydney. With over 15 years study in the practice of digital wizardry, Mikey has worked as a web designer, radio journalist and travel writer, before finally finding his home in the moving image. When he’s not behind the camera, he’s out advocating for impact storytelling and helping clients achieve their storytelling goals.

Mikey has published two books, including the Bradt Travel Guide to Bangladesh. He also founded the Positive Light project, a crowdsourced and crowdfunded photography project and coffee table photo book that is changing the way the world sees Bangladesh. Today, he’s also a proud husband and dedicated dad of two adorable boys.

Safra is currently the Director of Curative (Pvt) Ltd, and Director of Viluthu. Viluthu is a non-profit organisation working with the mandate of building capacities for Good Governance and supports and strengthens people’s networks in the conflict-affected North and East provinces of Sri Lanka.

Her expertise lies in training, event management, building global platforms, digital marketing, and grassroot initiatives through her experience of volunteering for over 12 years in and around Sri Lanka, British Council Sri Lanka, Toastmasters International and running TEDxColombo to be the largest platform for ideas in the country.

She has won numerous scholarships to attend conferences around the world including TED, World Youth Conference, World Youth Forum, South Asia Youth Dialogues, Campus Party Singapore and Active Citizens International Study Visits in speaker, moderator or curator capacities.

Being a marketing and communications specialist, storytelling has been very much part of Anuk’s professional journey, and even as an experienced thespian, he has mastered the art of storytelling in very creative and unique ways. As an Australia Awards alumnus, he hopes to build and expand linkages between universities in Sri Lanka and Australia to assist in the advancement of the education sector. He also hopes to share his expertise with fellow scholars who require any assistance with sharing their stories in unique manners.

Anuk completed a Master of Commerce (Marketing) at the University of Melbourne in 2019.

Alumni success stories

Names have been removed from the statements reflecting on the achievements of alumni from Afghanistan. 

Having contributed to communication campaigns for the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development in Afghanistan, she worked to achieve Sustainable Development Goals relating to drinking water and sanitation.
Australia Awards alumna
Afghanistan 

As the first female Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum in Afghanistan, she led the development of policies that were adopted by the Cabinet.
Australia Awards alumna
Afghanistan

Recruited by the President of Afghanistan for the role of Director General, Planning and Consolidation at the Ministry of Economy. In this role, he developed the first Provincial Development Planning Guideline, improving the local governance of Afghanistan.
Australia Awards alumnus
Afghanistan

As Programme Officer at the United Nations Development Programme, he established Opioid Substitution Therapy centres in five provinces of Afghanistan, thereby contributing to improving the health of many drug users in Afghanistan.
Australia Awards alumnus
Afghanistan

Farhana is a research scientist and champion for women’s rights who has developed low-cost and sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene interventions to promote safe menstrual health for at-risk women and girls of Bangladesh.
Farhana Sultana
Australia Awards alumna
Bangladesh

Farida, Asia and Nahid pioneered the digitalisation of the Foreign Aid Management System. This has revolutionised the way the data is input, processed and managed, thus indirectly impacting the economic development of Bangladesh.
Farida Nasreen, Asia Khatoon and Nahid Sultana Mallik
Australia Awards alumni
Bangladesh

Supported by the Ministry of Commerce, Ishita pioneered the establishment of Business Support Centres to nurture and encourage women entrepreneurs of Bangladesh to achieve their goals.
Ishita Rony
Australia Awards alumna
Bangladesh

Recipient of the ‘Excellence in Service’ award at the Bangladesh Women Police Awards 2019, Mahfuza is combatting and countering radicalisation and cybercrime through social media and awareness building.
Mahfuza Liza
Australia Awards alumna
Bangladesh

Torikul, Snigdha and Hafiz are helping create a climate-resilient and sustainable Dhaka city by modelling urban green solutions, such as rooftop gardens and rainwater harvesting.
Torikul Islam, Snigdha Roy and Hafiz Hasan
Australia Awards alumni
Bangladesh

A rising star in the Bangladesh Police force, Sahely has earned many accolades for her innovative initiatives and leadership in building awareness campaigns against violent extremism and gender-based violence.
Sahely Ferdous
Australia Awards alumna
Bangladesh

Founder of the Centre for Research Initiatives in Bhutan, Gyambo initiated research on the impact of health on Gross National Happiness, providing action-oriented recommendations to the Ministry of Health.
Gyambo Sithey
Australia Awards alumnus
Bhutan

Kesang founded the Institute for Learning Solutions, which provides and evaluates effectiveness of training programs—a first for Bhutan. The Institute has provided corporate training and business coaching to 150 participants in 17 colleges and youth centres, and is launching Bhutan’s first e-training platform for remote learning.
Kesang Om
Australia Awards alumna
Bhutan

Author of the award-winning book ‘Facts about Bhutan: The Land of the Thunder Dragon’, Lily is a diplomat, a political personality, and a voice for women and youth in Bhutan.
Lily Wangchuk
Australia Awards alumna
Bhutan

Soira played a crucial role in gathering Government support for procurement of the only reliable and standardised blood pressure machines in Bhutan, thereby helping to ensure quality healthcare for all.
Soira Sonam Tamang
Australia Awards alumna
Bhutan

As Chief Executive Officer of Bhutan Automation, Tandin is helping develop and promote domestic capacity in the automation of Bhutan’s hydropower industry.
Tandin Tshewang
Australia Awards alumnus
Bhutan

Tara is a Special Education teacher who pioneered the introduction of parent volunteers in the classrooms of Bhutan to help support the learning and development of children with disabilities.
Tara Devi Giri
Australia Awards alumna
Bhutan

An inspirational figure, Tashi is the longest-serving female journalist in Bhutan and writes to advocate for change and government accountability.
Tashi Dema
Australia Awards alumna
Bhutan

As founder of iHub Bhutan—the first privately owned incubation and co-working space in Bhutan—Tashi is combatting unemployment by bolstering youth-led entrepreneurship.
Tashi Wangdi
Australia Awards alumnus
Bhutan

As Project Manager for one of the most significant rural biomass energy projects in Bhutan, Ugyen facilitated the use of clean energy in communities while economically empowering women and children.
Ugyen
Australia Awards alumnus
Bhutan

Ugyen, author and Member of Parliament, is bringing significant benefit to his community by building linkages and ensuring people’s voices are heard in the country’s highest legislative bodies.
Ugyen Namgay
Australia Awards alumnus
Bhutan

A multi-skilled technocrat, Hannan is the CEO of Maldives Qualifications Authority and a chartered linguist, higher-education supervisor, journalist and current affairs analyst, appearing regularly on national television.
Abdul Hannan Waheed
Australia Awards alumnus
Maldives

As founder and CEO of Synode Group of Companies, Adham has made strides in implementing good workplace standards and occupational health and safety in the private sector in the Maldives.
Ahmed Adham Abdulla
Australia Awards alumnus
Maldives

As a co-founder of Water Solutions, Jameel is dedicated to using new technology and innovative methods to provide environmental consultancy, surveying and mapping services to the Maldives and surrounding countries.
Ahmed Jameel
Australia Awards alumnus
Maldives

An academic and researcher, Shahid is making significant contributions to human rights practice in the Maldives and is providing his expertise to build the capacity of rights-based institutions all over the world.
Ahmed Shahid
Australia Awards alumnus
Maldives

Aminath, Mariyam and Aishath established the Institute for Mental Well-Being and are providing high-quality mental health services to children, adults and families through advocacy, education, research and services in the Maldives.
Aminath Nahida, Mariyam Nawaza and Aishath Sanoora
Australia Awards alumni
Maldives

Hawwa, a change-maker for women in the Maldives, is providing wellness services and a support system for vulnerable women through the Women Center by Yulia (the first of its kind in Malé), which she established with Zuneena Habeeb (also an Australian alumna).
Hawwa Leesha
Australia Awards alumna
Maldives

As Principal of a small island school, Mariyam introduced a Bachelor of Technology in Hospitality and Certificate 2 level courses to provide students with alternative paths to the careers they want.
Mariyam Shifana
Australia Awards alumna
Maldives

Avishek, as co-founder of SunFarmer Nepal, is helping provide solar energy to power rural health care, education and farms—benefiting 800,000 people through 1,500 solar projects.
Avishek Malla
Australia Awards alumnus
Nepal

A livestock development officer, Gangaram has pioneered a solution to optimise breeding and increase the profitability of goat farming in Nepal.
Gangaram Yadav
Australia Awards alumnus
Nepal

In his work at the International Relations and Labour Committee of Nepal’s parliament, Jhalak led legal reforms to protect the wellbeing of women, in response to poor treatment of female Nepalese migrant workers in Middle East countries.
Jhalak Sharma Sapkota
Australia Awards alumnus
Nepal

As a community development worker, Kalawati has made extraordinary strides in improving the lives of people in Jhumlawang village through her innovative ideas, volunteering efforts and advocacy to access government resources.
Kalawati Rai
Australia Awards alumna
Nepal

In the aftermath of a devastating earthquake, Kamal contributed to improving the livelihoods of small farmers in Nuwakot through skill development training in seed-support and market promotion.
Kamal Raj Gaire
Australia Awards alumnus
Nepal

Making inclusive education his priority, Lakpa—the Principal of a public trust school— has trained teachers, fundraised resources, advocated for stakeholders and sourced the right equipment to make his school accessible for all students.
Lakpa Sherpa
Australia Awards alumnus
Nepal

As President of National Indigenous Disabled Women Association Nepal, Pratima works to protect the rights of marginalised women by breaking traditional barriers and ensuring equitable development opportunities within society.
Pratima Gurung
Australia Awards alumna
Nepal

Recipient of University of Sydney’s Outstanding Achievements Award, Samridhi is influencing improved rehabilitation and healthcare services and overseeing the formulation of stronger legislation and policies for the aging and disability sector of Nepal
Samridhi Rana Thapa
Australia Awards alumna
Nepal

Sophiya is a public health nutritionist who has dedicated her life to innovatively promoting locally available, diverse, nutrient-rich food to combat malnourishment and non-communicable diseases in rural communities in Nepal.
Sophiya Uprety
Australia Awards alumna
Nepal

As a leader in her country’s disability sector, Sunita established AutismCare Nepal Society, which delivers awareness and advocacy training to parents and is making a significant difference in the lives of people with autism in Nepal.
Sunita Maleku Amatya
Australia Awards alumna
Nepal

The first Nepalese forensic odontologist registered by the Nepal Medical Council, Samarika is an international expert and a resource for INTERPOL. She has published papers in national and international journals, and plays an integral part in disaster victim identification in Nepal.
Samarika Dahal
Australia Awards alumna
Nepal

Ehsam is the founder of Pakistan Innovation Summit for Education and has collaborated with the government of Gilgit-Baltistan in assisting 700+ students to learn design technology and providing jobs for youth.
Ehsam Ullah Baig
Australia Awards alumnus
Pakistan

As founders of STEP, Pakistan’s first competency-based training and learning centre, Gouhar and Mohni have reshaped the Technical and Vocational Education and Training landscape of Pakistan, offering vocational training in the public and private sectors.
Mohammad Gouhar Pirzada and Mohni Saif
Australia Awards alumni
Pakistan

Leading Pakistan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, Kaiyan has designed Challenge Funds for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID and DFID, providing grants for small-to-medium enterprises worth $1.8 million and creating more than 400 jobs.
Kaiyan Yousaf
Australia Awards alumnus
Pakistan

As Additional Director General for the Election Commission of Pakistan, Nighat has assisted in registering 4.3 million women voters and introduced eight gender-sensitive sections in Pakistan’s Elections Act, 2017.
Nighat Siddique
Australia Awards alumna
Pakistan

In collaboration with Austrade and Melbourne Polytechnic, Qurrat-ul-Ain introduced the Australian Hospitality Qualification in Pakistan, the first round of which upskilled 100 Technical and Vocational Education and Training trainers as International Training and Assessment Course master trainers.
Qurrat ul Ain
Australia Awards alumna
Pakistan

Founder of The Little Art, a non-profit arts education organisation working with children and youth across Pakistan, Shoaib has helped creators, performers and artists reach and engage with an audience of more than 600,000 people.
Shoaib Iqbal
Australia Awards alumnus
Pakistan

Founder of the School of Scholars, a school for girls in the Khuzdar district of Balochistan province, Sumera is providing rural students with a quality education that is equivalent to that being offered in the metropolitan cities of Pakistan.
Sumera Mehboob
Australia Awards alumna
Pakistan

Murtaza launched the National Incubation Center in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with the aim of building a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in Pakistan. The Center has successfully incubated 38 start-ups that have generated $800,000 and created more than 350 jobs in the province.
Murtaza Zaidi
Australia Awards alumnus
Pakistan

Tahira has responsibility for supervising trade by railway between Pakistan and India. By implementing a web-based One Customs platform, she has created positive changes in the working conditions in customs offices in her jurisdiction.
Tahira Javed
Australia Awards alumna
Pakistan

Saman designed the first culture policy to project Pakistan’s softer image. She also created Funn Mitti Se, a digital platform to empower creators of arts and crafts in Pakistan by giving them opportunities to showcase their work on international platforms.
Saman Rai
Australia Awards alumna
Pakistan

As Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, Chandrani collaborated with the Australian High Commission and the Australian Human Rights Commission to promote women’s and children’s rights in Sri Lanka.
Chandrani Senaratna
Australia Awards alumna
Sri Lanka

To address the drought crisis, Dayani developed a new technology—approved by the Ministry of Agriculture—to cultivate sweet potato in home gardens. She received an award from the President of Sri Lanka for her contribution.
Dayani Pradeepika
Australia Awards alumna
Sri Lanka

Founder of Knowledge Mag and tech start-up Itechro, Dinuke’s passion for mentoring start-ups for success has helped him support various small-to-medium enterprises in Sri Lanka and globally.
Dinuke De Coonghe
Australia Awards alumnus
Sri Lanka

Founder of tourism education company Go Ceilão, Amila has collaborated with Australian companies to promote travel and tourism between Australia and Sri Lanka. She organised ‘Everesting in Sri Lanka’, the first such event to be held in the country.
Amila W Gunawardana
Australia Awards alumna
Sri Lanka

Indraka has designed and delivered training for government officials tackling human trafficking, which resulted in improved living standards of safe houses and built staff capacity to adopt a ‘victim-centred approach’ for victims of human trafficking in Sri Lanka.
Indraka Ubeysekara
Australia Awards alumnus
Sri Lanka

Poorna and Indumini introduced ‘13 Years of Certified Education’, a project through the Ministry of Education that provided 1400+ students with a chance to successfully complete their vocational education in Sri Lanka.
Poorna Kumari Perera & Indumini Darshika
Australia Awards alumnae
Sri Lanka

Kanishka trained more than 200 small-scale entrepreneurs from Sabaragamuwa working in the food and beverage and tourism/hospitality sectors, helping to make the province a major tourist attraction for revenue generation.
Kanishka Nishendra Jayatunga
Australia Awards alumnus
Sri Lanka

Kusum initiated the Menstrual Hygiene Management program to improve health standards for girl children and help tackle the significant number of cervical cancer cases in Sri Lanka.
Kusum Athukorala
Australia Awards alumna
Sri Lanka

Lalith has initiated many tree replanting drives in sensitive catchment areas of Sri Lanka. As owner of a timber business, he has also adopted unique carpentry skills using recycled materials in order to reduce the need for logging.
Lalith Senevirathne
Australia Awards alumnus
Sri Lanka

Mohamed has established collaborative research projects with Australian counterparts (University of Technology Sydney and ICE WaRM [International Centre of Excellence in Water Resources Management]) to address water and sanitation issues in Sri Lanka.
Mohamed Esham
Australia Awards alumnus
Sri Lanka

As Directors at the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka, Priyanka and Nadeeka have collaborated with the government and vocational training institutes to tackle labour shortages in the apparel industry in Sri Lanka.
Priyanka Samaraweera & Nadeeka Andrahennadi
Australia Awards alumnae
Sri Lanka

Aiming to develop sustainable waste management solutions, Randika collaborated with Australian and Sri Lankan universities to develop a capacity building educational program to support community-based waste recycling, improving Sri Lanka’s environmental health.
Randika Anjalie Jayasinghe
Australia Awards alumna
Sri Lanka

Rahula is an Australian-certified EcoGuide who co-founded Aarunya Vacations with a sister company in Australia. Aarunya Vacations is a travel facilitation service that promotes Sri Lanka as a tourism destination to international travellers.
Rahula Perera
Australia Awards alumnus
Sri Lanka

Mahinda introduced the first public-private partnership for the management of empty plastic agrochemical containers in Sri Lanka. His survey findings on non-degradable plastic containers and electrical equipment waste were included in the National Environmental Act.
Senarath Mahinda Werahera
Australia Awards alumnus
Sri Lanka

Digital Storytellers

Learn about the purpose-driven film-making agency delivering a workshop for participants at the Regional Alumni Workshop

Visit website

Reflecting on the last workshop

More than 40 Australia Awards alumni from South and West Asia were in Bhutan as a part of 2018's Regional Alumni Workshop

Learn more