Deadline: 30 April 2020
Australia Awards scholarships are prestigious international awards offered by the Australian Government to the next generation of global leaders for development. Through study and research, recipients develop the skills and knowledge to drive change and help build enduring people-to-people links with Australia.
Applicants are assessed on their professional and personal qualities, academic competence and, most importantly, their potential to impact on development challenges in Laos.
Australia’s international development assistance in Laos helps promote prosperity, reduce poverty, and enhance political stability.
Priority fields of Study
Applications will be accepted for all fields of study except for general business courses and education management.
The following fields of study are human resource development priorities for the Lao and Australian Governments.
- Education (early childhood, primary education, special education, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), curriculum studies, student learning assessment, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and other specialisations including maths and science).
- Human resource development (public administration, human resource management, organisational management, labour market economics, information management and technology).
- Trade and private sector development (economics, international business, trade policy, creative industries, entrepreneurship and innovation, public policy, audit, tax, specialised finance and accounting, energy and mining, hospitality and tourism and other business specialisations or services).
- Gender equality and social inclusion (gender and development, women’s studies, disability studies, community and international development).
- Regional stability and human rights (public policy, international law, international human rights law, international relations and diplomacy, strategic studies, planning and security).
- Environment, agriculture and natural resources (water resources management, water engineering, water quality and supply systems, hydrology, agribusiness management, agricultural economics, rural development, veterinary science, environmental science, sustainability, tropical science, climate change and disaster risk management, forestry management, geographic information science/technology, conservation studies).
- Science, technology and infrastructure (engineering and infrastructure, mathematics, information and communications technology, architecture and urban planning, transport planning and logistics).
Level of Study
- Australia Awards scholarships provide citizens of Laos with the opportunity to obtain a qualification at an Australian tertiary institution.
- Awards will be offered for commencement in 2021 within the following allocations:
- Vocational Education and Training (VET)1 diploma and advanced diploma,
- Masters Degree, and
- Doctorate Degree (PhD)
- While applicants may nominate their preferred level of study, the final decision on which level of study to be offered will be determined by the selection panel.
Australia Awards Benefits
Australia Awards scholarships are offered for the minimum period necessary for the individual to complete the academic program specified by the Australian education institution, including any preparatory training.
Scholarship recipients will receive the following:
- return air travel
- a one-off establishment allowance on arrival
- full tuition fees
- contribution to living expenses
- introductory academic program
- overseas student health cover for the duration of the scholarship
- supplementary academic support
- fieldwork allowance for research students and masters by coursework which has a compulsory fieldwork component.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applications are strongly encouraged from women, people with disability and other marginalised groups.
- Previous Australian government scholarship recipients who are planning to apply for an Australia Award this year are required to have resided outside of Australia for twice the length of the total time they were in Australia, as of 30 April 2020.
Country-specific Conditions
- In addition to the eligibility requirements, applicants from Laos must also meet the following conditions:
- be a citizen of Laos (only);
- have been residing in the Lao PDR for a minimum of two years as of 30 April 2020 (exceptions may be considered for Government Officials who have had diplomatic postings overseas);
- provide all of the required supporting documents listed under “Supporting documents”.
- VET applicants:
- must have completed upper secondary school; or
- if currently studying at tertiary level, must not have completed more than 2 years of diploma or undergraduate level study; or
- who already have a diploma or a bachelor degree, must have a minimum of two years’ work experience and be seeking qualifications to fill a skills shortfall or to change career direction.
- Masters Degree applicants:
- must hold a Bachelor Degree;
- must have a minimum of two years’ work experience;
- who already have a Masters Degree (including from overseas) are eligible to apply, but may be given lower priority.
- PhD level applicants:
- must hold a Masters Degree;
- must have a minimum of three years’ work experience relevant to a postgraduate qualification.
- must have an IELTS Certificate of overall 6.5 with no individual band less than 6.0 obtained after 1 July 2019.
Selection Criteria
Applicants will be assessed and interviewed against the following criteria:
- academic competence
- potential outcome, specifically the contribution to development outcomes in Laos
- professional and personal leadership attributes including relevant work experience.
Note: Gender balance and other agreed targets may be applied to the selection process.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted online via given website.
For more information, visit https://dfat.gov.au/about-us/publications/Pages/laos-information-for-intake.aspx