Australia Awards South and West Asia

On 26 May 2026, 30 Australia Awards – South Asia & Mongolia scholars participated in a three-hour interactive online workshop on Artificial Intelligence (AI). The workshop aimed to help scholars build practical and responsible capability in using AI for work and study, with a focus on real-world applications for policy analysis, planning and writing.

Timothy (Tim) McDonald from the AI Training Company facilitated the session, presenting scholars with an overview of current AI trends, tools and best practices. Tim is a former journalist and communications strategist who combines storytelling expertise with deep knowledge of generative AI applications. In his work, he assists organisations to integrate AI into their workflows and helps teams use AI to accelerate both productivity and creativity.

Tim guided scholars through different tools tailored to their questions and various scenarios, and supported them with hands-on exercises. He answered questions and gave examples of working with AI tool prompts, ensuring scholars would be able to apply what they learnt confidently and appropriately.

The workshop resonated strongly with scholars seeking to deepen their knowledge in using AI tools effectively. Several participants commented on how the training broadened their understanding of the tools. Bangladeshi scholar Nijhum Talukder said that the workshop was “really informative and useful”, a sentiment echoed by scholars during the session.

Bangladeshi scholar Nijhum Talukder.

Among those who praised its usefulness, Pakistani scholar and former Scholar Ambassador Wirdah Kaif said that “prompt generation techniques and the Google NotebookLM tool” were her key learnings and takeaways.

Pakistani scholar Wirdah Kaif.

Mohamed Nimal from Maldives added that he “found it extremely helpful that the session was very practical and introduced how to navigate many different tools”.

Scholar Mohamed Nimal from Maldives.

Reflecting on the overall experience, Pakistani scholar Zoha Shakir said, “The workshop changed the way I see AI: not as a shortcut, but as a partner for better decision-making. As a public servant, I see immense potential for AI to strengthen evidence-based policymaking, tackle complex development challenges and improve public service delivery, provided it is always guided by critical thinking, ethical use and human judgement.”

Pakistani scholar Zoha Shakir.

Bangladeshi scholar Shyamal Chandra Basak also highlighted the practical value of the training. “As a master’s degree student in Marine Science and Management, this workshop showed me how AI can genuinely support research—from analysing marine and coastal data to structuring academic reports,” he said. “I’m already applying these tools in my coastal management research and assignments, and it’s made a real difference in how efficiently I can work.”

Bangladeshi scholar Shyamal Chandra Basak.