Two hundred and forty-eight professionals from 25 African countries are in the final stages of preparation for their to departure to Australia to start Australian government-funded postgraduate scholarships, which begin later this month.

The scholarships are part of the Australia Awards in Africa – an initiative which funds postgraduate degrees in Australia, as well as fellowships for professional development training in Australia and Africa.

Selected from a pool of over 6 000 applications, the successful candidates recently participated in predeparture briefings designed to prepare them for life and study in Australia and to assist them in developing reintegration plans outlining how their newly acquired skills would contribute to their country’s development on return.

The briefings were conducted in Ethiopia, Ghana, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia.

Addressing a predeparture briefing session in South Africa, Australian high commissioner Graeme Wilson said the participants would leverage the skills learnt during their time abroad upon their return to their home countries.

“Australia Awards provide unique opportunities to nurture leaders who can contribute to the development of their countries and region through high-quality education experiences in Australia and Africa,” he commented.

Australia Awards covered the full cost of travel, tuition, training materials, accommodation, living expenses and health insurance for basic medical and hospital care in Australia.