Speech by Greg Wilcock, High Commissioner of Australia:
Launch of the Australia Awards Bangladesh Alumni Association
Westin Hotel, Dhaka
15 November 2012
His Excellency the Honourable Finance Minister;
His Excellency the Honourable Adviser to the Prime Minister for International Affairs;
Honourable Additional Secretary, Ministry of Education;
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen;
It’s very encouraging to see so many scholarship alumni from Australian universities here this evening.
My own studies, at the Australian National University, are 20 years distant. But, like many of us here, I’ve worked since that time to sustain the friendships I built during that time.
My friends seemed to be from everywhere: Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Korea, the United States, Namibia, India, to name a few – and some from Bangladesh too.
This student mix was vital to the sheer stimulation and fun of study and extra-curricular life. As well, visiting South East Asia during the summer breaks, I was never far from a university friend and a home-cooked meal.
I have been in Bangladesh only since the beginning of July. But since the beginning of my time here I’ve been struck by the number of Bangladeshis I’ve met who’ve studied in Australia, or whose relatives are.
Frequently, and happily, I’ve been able to talk to Bangladeshis, including some of you, about life in Australian universities and cities, and about places and experiences we hold dear.
Ladies and Gentlemen;
As valuable as your academic achievements in Australia are to each of you, taken together you are invaluable to the long-standing friendship between Australia and Bangladesh.
Currently, around 7000 Bangladeshis are studying in Australia. Year on year, that means many thousands of Bangladeshis have been welcomed to Australia.
Australia greatly values the benefits of Bangladeshis studying in Australia to both our countries. If we assume the resulting friendship and goodwill, we also appreciate that education is a vital for Bangladesh’s growth.
Those who return to Bangladesh bring with them qualifications, skills and the motivation to succeed. They make Bangladesh an even more dynamic country. They help drive significant economic growth and links.
The rest of us also benefit. Australia, for one, finds in Bangladesh’s growth a bigger trade partnership – now our second largest in South Asia. Our two-way trade has doubled during the past three years.
We also value what Australian universities can offer people and institutions, like those here in Bangladesh, working hard to lift up their communities.
Australian Government scholarships – which we now collectively call the Australia Awards – have been an important component of Australia’s overseas assistance since the Colombo Plan in the 1950s. Australia has awarded hundreds of scholarships in Bangladesh since its independence.
Under the Australia Awards, the Australian Government invests over $200 million each year in scholarships which, at any time, support around 5,000 international students, researchers and professionals to study in Australia.
Under the Australia Awards, Australia will award over 140 scholarships in Bangladesh this year, aiming to strengthen (for example) economic policy, administration, financial management, and international negotiation.
Honoured guests, the Australia Awards Bangladesh Alumni Association will be a valuable network for you, and those who follow you to Australia.
Just as Australia benefits from a life-long relationship with its international alumni, so those returning to Bangladesh see the value of a formal association of Australian-educated peers to their careers and their wider interests in life.
The launch of the association marks a rare opportunity to engage in an exciting and innovative venture from its beginning. Australia encourages all scholarship alumni in Bangladesh to involve themselves in the association, now and for many years to come.
As Australia and Bangladesh mark the 40th anniversary year of our diplomatic relations, we celebrate also the ambassadorial role of you, Bangladesh’s Australian university alumni.
I hope that future Australia Award scholars will join you and others who have already studied in Australia to discover a second home in our lucky country.
Thank you.
Australian High Commission, Dhaka
15 November 2012
For further information please contact:
Tel: 8813105, Ext. 497/413
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