When Senator Carr's visited Samoa earlier this month to visit the Cyclone Evan affected areas, his first appointment was meet with Australia Awards Scholarship alumni.
He was impressed by the turnout at the reception that included a member of Council of Deputies, members of parliament, CEOs and leaders of the private sector.
"By offering opportunities for current and future leaders to undertake tertiary studies, the program enables Samoan citizens to actively contribute to your country's economic and social development", said Bob Carr.
As a sign of the importance of this program, Australia increased the number of awards offered to Samoan students by eight annually to 43 last year, highlighting Australia's efforts to increase education opportunities for Samoans.
Each year Samoan students receive scholarships to study at universities in Australia and the region in fields vital to Samoa's development, such as medicine, engineering, commerce and education.
For many attendees, the reception was the first time to meet with alumni who began studies in Australia at the same time. They were grateful for the opportunity to study abroad and were able to share some of their experiences with Senator Carr.
Carr congratulated them for successfully completing their studies and for using what they have learned to strengthen Samoa's development.
The Senator also offered his thanks to Samoa's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade for their invaluable support to this program.