The small town of Noshki in western Balochistan, on Pakistan's border with Afghanistan, is about as far from the University of Sydney's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences as you could imagine. But for one Noshki resident, the journey of discovery and learning is about to begin.
Twenty-eight year old Jawahir Habib is one of 55 Pakistani recipients of the 2013 Australia Awards. Begun in 1991, the awards are an important component of Australia's investment in education and provide long and short-term study opportunities to professionals from developing countries.
Jawahir, along with 29 other women and 25 men, met in Islamabad in November, the first step in their preparations before travelling to Australia to take up studies at universities across the country.
Addressing the group, the Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Mr.Peter Heyward, said "The Australia Awards program targets emerging leaders in Pakistan. Scholarship recipients are required to return to Pakistan after completing their studies, ensuring they bring their newly acquired skills home to contribute to the development of their country."
Jawahir is one of Pakistan's emerging leaders, working with UNICEF as part of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in her native Balochistan. Although polio has been largely eradicated across the world, Pakistan is one of three countries in which the disease remains endemic. Jawahir will be leaving her team of 231 social mobilisers to study for a Masters in Health Communication at the University of Sydney.
"I believe this course will equip me with necessary skills to bring new and innovative approaches to communication for immunisation," said Jawahir. "When I return, I plan to be part of the team that eradicates polio from Pakistan."
For Jawahir, the academic challenges are only part of her journey of discovery. "I belong to a small city with short distances and a very closed society where socialising for women is only limited to families," she said. "However, I have always taken challenges as an opportunity. Challenges will not wait and opportunities won't look back."
The Australia Awards aim to foster capacity and leadership skills so that individuals can contribute to development in their home country. To date, 411 Pakistanis, including 164 women, have been awarded Australian scholarships, studying in areas aligned with Pakistan's development priorities including public health, education, rural development and food security. The program also targets public sector reform and improved standards of governance in both public and private sectors.