Australia Awards
Summary
This report details the outcomes of a case study of Nepalese alumni of Australian development scholarships. Alumni in this case study completed their scholarships between the late-1980s and the mid-1990s. The Nepal case study alumni cohort comprised three females and six males who collectively have worked across numerous ministries of the Government of Nepal.
These Nepalese alumni had used the skills, knowledge and networks gained during their time in Australia to contribute to partner-country development goals, including improving health outcomes for thousands of rural Nepali women through the provision cervical cancer screening and awareness raising, as well as fostering understanding about the value of evidence-based planning based on population information culminating in the formation of the Ministry of Population and Planning.
While Nepal case study alumni participants provided some good examples of collaboration and partnerships developed between Australia and Nepal, many of the networks that underpinned past collaboration had elapsed as the years passed and alumni retired. All alumni in the Nepal case study reported positive views of Australia and Australian expertise, providing evidence that this long-term outcome of the Australia Awards has been achieved.
Case study participants described the Nepal context as characterised by pervasive cultural and systemic barriers preventing the full participation in society by disadvantaged groups. Australia Awards play a small part in a broader program of change required to address issues of equity in Nepal.
This research was conducted by the Australia Awards Global Tracer Facility to provide the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade with evidence to evaluate the impact of the Australia Awards.