AusAID provides 35 scholarships

The Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) has provided 35 scholarships to Maldivian students for 2014.

The areas of education for two PhD scholarships and 33 Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree scholarships are Education, Environment, and Governance and Public Administration.

A function was held on Tuesday night at Traders’ Hotel for the winners of the Australia Awards Scholarship 2014. The chief guest at the function was Minister of Education Dr Aishath Shiham.

The function was also attended by Australian Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives Robyn Mudie, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dhunya Maumoon, and several Maldivian students who have obtained higher education through AusAID scholarships.

Speaking at the function, the Australian Ambassador said that Australia has assisted neighbouring countries’ development project over the past 60 years, and highlighted the importance of tertiary education in a country’s development.

She noted with happiness that the new Minister of Education, the Speaker of the Parliament, and several others holding high posts in the government of the Maldives obtained higher education in Australia.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Education Minister thanked the government of Australia for its assistance.

She urged the students, who were selected from a large group of applicants, to make the best use of this opportunity.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Dhunya Maumoon noted the close relations between Australia and the Maldives, and said that the generous aid given by the Australian government for the development of human resources in the Maldives is invaluable.

Members of the AusAID team, who also attended the ceremony on Tuesday night, thanked AusAID Country Scholarship Coordinator Dr Ibrahim Hassan and his team for their efforts in the Maldives.