Australia Awards South and West Asia

Australia Awards – South Asia & Mongolia is proud to announce the launch of the Scholar Ambassador program, an initiative to recognise and empower outstanding scholars who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership qualities, and a commitment to fostering a strong and inclusive community for Australia Awards scholars.

Scholar Ambassadors will play a vital role in:

• helping the Australia Awards – South Asia & Mongolia team to coordinate events in their state or territory
• initiating and delivering enrichment activities and networking opportunities for other scholars
• sharing their stories online through official channels and social media
• engaging with other scholars and obtaining feedback about their experiences and challenges.

For 2025–26, 10 scholars were selected as Scholar Ambassadors through a competitive process. This process consisted of two rounds: a written application and an interview. The successful applicants participated in a two-day in-person training held in Adelaide. This training covered key areas such as team building; leadership and communication; gender equality, disability and social inclusion; safeguarding; and event management.

One of the Scholar Ambassadors, Wirdah Kaif from Pakistan, says, “As a dedicated Scholar Ambassador, I am deeply passionate about fostering an inclusive Australia Awards community, where scholars celebrate each other’s successes and forge lifelong connections.” Wirdah is studying a Master of Public Policy and Management at the University of Melbourne. She has embraced her passion for learning and driving positive change through her Australia Awards Scholarship.

Scholar Ambassador Wirdah Kaif from Pakistan.

Fellow Scholar Ambassador Rita Baramu from Nepal, who is studying a Master of Technology Governance at the Australian National University, says: “I believe in the power of community from my own indigenous heritage back in my country Nepal, and I want to play an active role in fostering a supportive and inspiring environment for fellow scholars deriving from my own indigenous values.” She adds, “I am also passionate about helping others feel seen, heard and connected.”

Scholar Ambassador Rita Baramu.

Scholar Ambassadors represent scholars’ voices, provide feedback to enhance engagement and improve the Scholarship experience, and contribute to cultivating a sense of belonging, inspiring their peers and helping them to enrich their Scholarship journey.

Meet the rest of the Scholar Ambassadors.