Australia Awards Scholarship for 19 Nepali Students
Nineteen talented students from Nepal have received the prestigious Australia Awards scholarships provided by the Government of Australia. At a formal ceremony, Australian Ambassador to Nepal Lian Johnston and Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Chudamani Paudel, handed over the scholarships.
These students will begin postgraduate studies at world-class universities in Australia in 2026. Among them, 13 are from the public service sector, 11 are women and 2 are persons with disabilities.
In his remarks at the ceremony, Education Secretary Paudel extended his best wishes to the scholarship recipients and expressed gratitude to Australia for the opportunities it has been providing to Nepali students. He said, “The academic knowledge and international connections you gain in Australia will make an important contribution to Nepal’s service along with your personal development.”
Ambassador Johnston encouraged the students to experience multicultural Australia and to build lasting relationships with Australian people and institutions. She said, “Australia Awards reflects our shared commitment to partnership, inclusion and leadership.”
Australia Awards is a major scholarship programme provided by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs. It offers wide opportunities for study and research to students with leadership potential. Many Nepali alumni who have studied through this programme have returned to Nepal and are serving in senior positions in government, non-government and business sectors.
Since the Australian scholarship programme began under the Colombo Plan in 1950, more than 100,000 students worldwide have benefited. So far, over 1,300 Nepali students have studied in Australia with the support of Australia Awards.
Applications for the next round of Australia Awards scholarships will open in February 2026.
International Scholarship