MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Hunt
Many of the Asia-Pacific leaders of tomorrow are in Canberra today to receive special recognition as part of a major Australian Leadership Awards initiative.
Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Greg Hunt, said over 150 current and emerging leaders from 23 countries are attending the inaugural Australian Leadership Awards Conference.
Mr Hunt will welcome and congratulate the Australian Leadership Awards scholars at a reception at Parliament House tonight.
'These scholars are the leaders in their fields with expertise in areas such as journalism, law, marine biology, public health and engineering,' Mr Hunt said.
'They have been studying in Australia as part of the $1.4 billion Australian Scholarships initiative.
'This is a program which is about promoting sustainable development and excellence in education within the Asia-Pacific region.
'The people we are honouring are amongst the region's best and brightest.
'They will make a significant contribution to the development of their countries at the completion of their studies in Australia,' Mr Hunt said.
'The program will enhance their skills, knowledge and networks in Australia and the region, equipping them for leadership roles in communities, businesses and governments.'
Mr Hunt said the Asia-Pacific region faces many complex challenges and this program offers an important opportunity to discuss how to positively tackle them together.
The Australian Government, through AusAID, will offer around 3,200 Australian Leadership Awards over five years, providing long and short-term education and professional development opportunities for the region.
Previous recipients of Australian Scholarships include the Indonesian Minister of Research and Technology, H E Kusmayanto Kadiman, the Mayor of Banda Aceh, Mr Marwardy Nurdin, the Chief Magistrate of PNG, Mr John Numapo, the Police Commissioner of Kiribati, Mr Ioeru Tokantetaake, and the Mongolian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Enkhbold.
Further information about Australian Scholarships can be found at www.australianscholarships.gov.au
Media contacts:
John Deller (Mr Hunt's office) on 0400 496 596
AusAID (Public Affairs) on 0417 680 590