27 Indonesians receive Australian post-graduate scholarships

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Bill Farmer congratulated 27 outstanding Indonesians who have received post-graduate scholarships to study in Australia under the annual Australian Leadership Awards (ALA) program, an Australian Embassy media release said here on Tuesday.

Speaking at a reception for the ALA recipients at his residence on Tuesday, the Australian envoy expressed hope that the scholarships would provide a better future for Indonesia by helping its young leaders achieve their potentials.

"I hope, on their return from Australia, they can play an influential role in Indonesia`s social and economic policy making and development," Farmer said.

"Their time in Australia is also a great opportunity to exchange knowledge and information about Indonesia and their respective fields of expertise, and to build valuable networks," he added.

ALA is a prestigious scholarship program that provides opportunities to existing and emerging leaders from the Asia Pacific region, including Indonesia, to further develop their professional expertise and leadership.

The scholarships allow them to pursue postgraduate study and a leadership development program in Australia.

For 2008, the Australian Government has awarded ALA scholarships to 172 people from 24 Asia-Pacific countries.

Indonesia received more scholarships than any other country. Most awardees will commence their studies in Australia in January.

According to the embassy`s media release, around 300 Indonesians each year receive scholarships to study in Australia under the A$1.4 billion (Rp 10 trillion) Australian Scholarships initiative, which aims to promote development and education cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.