AUSTRALIA AWARDS ALUMNI – PAKISTAN

expanding further from national boundaries and reach out to other Australia Awards Alumni at the regional level. This will be aimed at exchanging experiences and knowledge and organising events on various subjects of common interests and mandates. The Executive Committee will continue with the regular publishing of the newsletter encouraging members to share quality articles for the benefit of the readers. Moreover, continue with the good initiative of small grants with an effort to increase allocation and number of grants to the well deserving initiatives. The new Executive Committee will come up with more refined objectives and strategies as soon as it starts working formally as a team. However, I encourage the Executive Committee and the Alumni members to work pro-actively and jointly as a team to further strengthen and carry forward the agenda of AAAN. I invite all alumni members to share their suggestions and feedback with the Executive Committee on the forum, emails or in general members meetings. The Executive

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Editor’s NoteBy MahjabeenPresident AAA–Pakistan Executive Committee

It is a matter of great honour and pleasure for me to represent you all under the Australia Awards Alumni Pakistan Executive Committee as President. First of all, I would like to congratulate the first Executive Committee on successfully completing its tenure and for setting a strong foundation for the alumni network. It undertook a number of initiatives for building and strengthening the Alumni network; particularly compilation of the Australia Awards Alumni newsletters, organising Alumni events and initiating the Small Grants Scheme. As president of the

nd2 Executive Committee, and on behalf of its members, I aim to build further on the good work done by the first executive committee. Following is a brief overview of our future objectives;

The Executive Committee will make every possible effort to further strengthen the Australia Awards Alumni Network (AAAN) by making the online alumni forum more interactive involving professional discussions on special subjects, discussions on extending support to departing students to help them settle in Australian universities and returning students in helping them settle back. Furthermore, encourage alumni members to share their feedback and suggestions on making the network effective and useful for them. We would also look into the potential of

Committee will make every possible effort to translate your inputs into strategies and actions.

I thank all the Alumni members for their support and encouragement to the newly elected Executive Committee. We look forward to your continued support and inputs to help us do a better job.

Thank you!

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Editor’s Note

Personal Views on the Future of Employment Opportunities in Pakistan

Australia Awards Short Courses and Their Activities

Melbourne Memoirs 2012

Australia Awardees come together to prepare for journey home

Articles to get you thinking about employment, career advancement and doing your job better

60 Australian Scholarship Awardees depart for Australia

Learning Study Skills at LUMS

Raising Awareness about Gestational Diabetes

Australian Farming Methods Benefitting Pakistani Farmers

The family friendly alternative energy source project – Biogas Plants in Bajour Agency

It was a Bumpy Road for me……..

A Welcome Home for Australia AwardsStudents returning to Pakistan

Australia Awards Alumni Professional Development Workshops

Australia Awards Alumni Pakistan– Executive Committee

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Personal Views on the Future of Employment Opportunities in Pakistan

The rural population of Pakistan is suffering from various employment problems. One important factor is that multinational companies primarily focus their efforts on the cities. These companies mainly operate in cities and the work force is hired locally. This has made the situation difficult for the rural person to survive in their local areas, and often means rural people move to cities to look for work. This grassroots problem is increasing the gap between urban and rural living and it may have a deeper impact on coming generations.

Pakistan is still primarily an agriculture based country and there is great potential in this sector for investment. Multinational companies should be

encouraged to invest in these areas – modernising agriculture techniques such as harvesting, transportation and so on, and solid steps should be taken in this regard. This will help to fill the gap between big and small town living and it will increase the job opportunities for rural people in their own towns and villages. The land of Pakistan has numerous varieties of crops to offer international markets and the agricultural sector is able to grow and expand in different dimensions.

Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) have increased their visibility in Pakistan in recent years and they are playing a positive role in the betterment of rural people's prospects. However, there is still room and capacity to improve the general life and job opportunities for rural people. This is what I work towards with my own agricultural work, and I am better qualified to do this since my Australia Pakistan Agriculture Scholarship (APAS) Short Course trip to Australia.

In Pakistan, finding a job is not necessarily difficult, but the working scenarios are different for the private and government sector and from town to country. Finding good careers in the private sector is becoming increasingly competitive. It requires a lot of effort, hard work and, above all, commitment. Working in the private sector is not only demanding but it is also time consuming as working hours are not restricted to week days only. Private sector employees need to work to the best of their abilities throughout the week to shine in their career and get promoted in a timely manner.

As far as government sector jobs are concerned, merit is not always the only criteria that one requires. At the same time a proper, well connected link or channel is helpful when trying to get a good job. This issue seems particularly true in the rural areas of Pakistan and needs to change. People living in urban areas have more and diverse job opportunities.

By Ali

Australia Awards Short Courses and Their ActivitiesBy Rabia

APAS 2nd Short Course Recognition Ceremony

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A recognition ceremony for participants of the Australia Pakistan Agriculture Scholarships (APAS); second short course on Irrigation and Water Resource

thManagement was held on 7 August, 2014 at Serena Hotel Islamabad. Mr. Peter Coventry, Head of Aid at the Australian High Commission, welcomed the group and distributed certificates among the returnees.

Dr Pervaiz Amir, a renowned irrigation specialist was also invited to share his experience and discuss potential areas of work in the sector where Alumni can contribute what they have learnt from Australia. Two Alumni members gave a brief presentation about their learning experience in Australia and how they are going to implement what they have

gained through their return to work plans. This recognition ceremony provided the cohort a chance to interact with special guests from the irrigation sector. It also provided a chance to discuss progress related to their return to work plans.

rdAPAS 3 Short Course Pre-departure Briefing

A Pre-departure briefing (PDB) for the rdAPAS third short course was held on 3

September, 2014 at the Pearl Continental Hotel, Rawalpindi to bid farewell to 22 Pakistani professionals. They were awarded scholarships to undertake a six week course on “Training of Trainers on Irrigation and Water Resource Management” at the University of Queensland, Brisbane. This training was delivered through the APAS short course awards program. This course provided a short-term study opportunity for trainers

who were working in the water sector and wished to increase their knowledge of irrigation and water resource management. The PDB provided important information that awardees needed upon arrival in Australia, which included advice about living and studying in Australia. The briefing helped awardees to prepare, plan and quickly settle in Australia and their education institution, thereby

enhancing their ability to be successful in their studies. The PDB also provided an opportunity to remind awardees of their award obligations, including the requirement that after successful completion they leave Australia and return to their home country for implementing their development plans. A session on the detailed course program provided the participants a chance to have a glance over what they are going to learn and chalk out their return to work plans accordingly.

thPre-Departure Briefing 4 Short Course

The Australian Government, through the Australia Awards short courses, awarded scholarships to 19 Parliamentary Secretariat staff members and professionals to study at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, in October.

The course was focused on effective and efficient management of parliamentary committees, as practiced in Australia, with a view to adaptation of these techniques in Pakistan. Also, the intent was to equip

recipients with practical and appropriate tools to develop and implement sound policy and practice, recognising the resource constraints within Pakistan's Parliament and Assemblies. Finally, the course enabled

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recipients to interpret their experience and learning through the development of a Return to Work Plan (RWP) that applies the knowledge and skills gained from the course in a manner appropriate to their work context in Pakistan.

thThe PDB for the 4 short course was held thon 30 of September at the Serena hotel,

Islamabad. Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan Mr. Peter Heyward said, “I am

hopeful that the knowledge gained by the participants will ultimately contribute towards Pakistan achieving its development goals, through the strengthening of its Parliamentary Democracy. I further hope that the course will not only equip you with the skills and knowledge you need, but also give you a chance to increase your understanding of Australia and meet Australian people.”

Ms Marriyum Aurangzeb, MNA and Chair of the Pakistan Australia Parliamentary Friendship Group also attended the briefing. She thanked the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for its initiative of offering a course for Parliamentary staff members and stressed on the importance of implementing the learned knowledge on return of participants from their course.

Melbourne Memoirs 2012By Uzma

The morning after the long tiring flight was laden with mixed emotions; tiredness, excitement, curiosity, homesickness and above all a sense of achievement to be one of those selected for an Australia Award. We were a group of aspiring young folk from nearly all sectors, including education, health, agriculture, management, gender development and so on, who were being welcomed with open arms, and offered every possible support. All the sights and sounds were overwhelming; peculiar architecture, a systematic transport system and diverse cultures mingling together. Everything was awe-inspiring but my eagerness to absorb as fully as possible as promptly as possible was up to the task. Life had set out on a new path. The goal to move ahead with further studies at an international institution was finally being realised. With no looking back, I strove to settle down and focus on the mandatory Introductory Academic Programme (IAP).

Initially my jetlag was mind boggling but gradually subsided. As my first educational sessions approached I needed intense focus, and critical thinking skills. A complete change of mind set for my educational endeavours had to be adopted and I also had to struggle to settle into everyday life and make a new set of acquaintances. Adjusting to the new transport system, quitting old habits like being late, and dealing alone with many of the everyday chores which would otherwise be supported back home by scores of people like relatives; friends and servants was gruelling at times. For the first time you feel you are completely independent and it is an unbelievable feeling.

The university had a plethora of different cultural backgrounds, religions, colours, races and beliefs; every face had its own story to tell. The

sounds of different languages were heard, versatile gestures, clothing styles, food and customs were perceptible. Nonetheless these differences are just skin deep; deep down everyone has a heart beating with the same rhythm. The appearances may be a little diverse but the definition of a good human being is almost the same for all with the principle of “Primum non nocere” (First, do no harm) being valued everywhere. These were some of the things I learned from my new environment as I got to down to study and came to know my campus.I undertook an excursion trip to the east of Melbourne, to Dandenong, which was a delightful experience. The bus ride with friends was exceptionally entertaining. Exploring new picturesque spots, flora, fauna and taking photographs was great fun. A walk to the lake at the middle of the

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forest was unforgettable. The clear water of the lake was reflecting the whole scenery and seemed to be a jewel in the crown of the mountains. This beautiful view compelled us to stop and have a photography session. Later on we set out for the highest spot to view the city. It was lunch time so food was shared with laughter and interesting stories from friends of diverse nationalities. It was great to take a break from the pressures of study for at least a day. The semesters rolled out with lectures, practicums, assignments, presentations and exams. The lecturers were very friendly and we could call them by their first names. The professors were very down to earth and would behave like “normal human beings”. Most were health conscious so would ride their bikes or run to reach the lecture hall. They would

answer each question being asked patiently or reply promptly to any email sent. During the lecture every student would be absorbed and focused and the halls would be full to capacity. This showed the absolute honesty among staff and students to work and achieve their objectives. Once the final exam was over and results were out, as expected the goal was accomplished; another feather in the hat and proud moments to revere. The graduation ceremony followed to celebrate our achievement; struggling against all odds in a foreign land, and keeping the promise of bringing a good name and adorning the batch of 2012 with a hard earned success. Those were magical moments; by first putting on the gown and graduation cap, then

walking down the auditorium and eventually to the stage. Every graduate was glowing with pride and cherishing those delightful moments. The ceremony was solemnized with great dignity and poise.

The year long ordeal came to an end. The last days were spent with friends, enjoying the Christmas preparations all over the city. Every nook and corner was adorned and decorated. Everyone was in festive mood. The life was the same for all, but for the batch of 2012 time had come to bid farewells. Friends had to separate and to move on to their destinations for good with the promises of being in touch and never to forget the sweet Melbourne memories, which are going to be inscribed in their minds forever.

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Australia Awardees come together to prepare for journey home

By Adam

Ambitious plans for the future were under the microscope as two groups of Australia Awards recipients from Pakistan met in Melbourne and Canberra in September. The Awardees, who are in Australia undertaking Masters level study in areas key to the future development of Pakistan, came together to reflect on their time in Australia and to share their thoughts on how they will use their newly acquired skills and knowledge when they return to Pakistan after their upcoming exams.Participants took part in a variety of interactive sessions throughout the workshops, which were described as very engaging, entertaining and useful. Those who attended were able to share their thoughts on the likely benefits to be gained from their study in Australia, both for themselves and the communities they work with at home.

Most of those awardees who have jobs to return to, started thinking about how they would use their new skills and knowledge, while those without jobs were confident that they would be more employable when they went home, thanks to their Australian degrees.

All agreed they would do their part to positively contribute to Pakistan's development in the years to come, and hope to maintain ties with friends and colleagues made while in Australia.Awardees were also very happy to listen to a short presentation by Pakistani Deputy High Commissioner to Australia, Ms Asima Rabbani. Ms Rabbani is herself an Alumnus of the Australia Awards and enjoyed the opportunity to share her reflections on her time as a student in Australia and

the course of her professional career after her return to Pakistan.Representatives from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) who attended commended the Awardees for all their hard academic work during the year, and wished them well in their exams, and on their future careers. All Awardees were in 'exam mode'. Exams commence in November and will conclude in December, allowing most Awardees to be home by the end of 2014.

Upon return, all Awardees will become Alumni of the Australia Awards and will be invited to attend a Welcome Home and Recognition Ceremony in Islamabad, with the chief guest being the Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan, HE Mr. Peter Heyward.

Articles to get you thinking about employment, career advancement and doingyour job better

Are you struggling to create change at work? Has your career stalled? It's easy to look outward and blame organisational politics, a bad jobs market or even your colleagues. But, what if the problem is you? From coming across as a braggart to presenting problems without solutions,

nuances in our behaviours can make or break success. It's a topic several

weighed in on recently. Here's what two of them had to say:

LinkedIn Influencers

http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20141113-surprising-career-killing-habits

In October, Devex convened over 200 global development professionals — representing more than 35 nationalities based in Ethiopia and the surrounding region — together with dozens of international organisations to discuss career and job opportunities

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at the first in Addis Ababa. Throughout panels, breakout sessions and conversations with both professionals and international development leaders, three emerging trends impacting current and future career prospects for aid workers became clear. Read more here:

Along with the countless 'How-to' books available in the market that promise you the craft of writing the perfect résumé, the internet is also flooded with templates and freelancers willing to do the job for you. The million dollar question, however, remains the same — how to make your résumé stand out and get noticed? From the International Express Tribune:

Devex Career Forum

https://www.devex.com/news/3-takeaways-from-the-devex-career-forum-that-could-impact-your-career-84663

http://tribune.com.pk/story/760471/resu

me-one-size-does-not-fit-all/

Before you hit send (Resume top tips)Source: Mary GoldsmithSeven key questions to ask yourself before applying for a job;1. Can I learn more about the job

requirements and the needs of the organisation?

2. Do I meet at least 70% of the selection criteria?

3. What key words and phrases are used in the position description?

4. Can I enhance my resume to make it through the applicant tracking system?

5. Have I made it clear how I differentiate myself from other similar candidates?

6. Does my CV clearly show how I can solve the problem and add value to the organisation?

60 Australian Scholarship Awardees depart for Australia

By Erum

The Australia Awards Pakistan team organised a two day long interactive Pre-Departure Briefing (PDB) to bid farewell to the 2015 Intake of Australia Awardees on

th th25 and 26 November 2014 in Islamabad. Carefully designed sessions, delivered by the Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Australia Awards team provided scholars with an opportunity to

learn about some of the cultural differences and similarities between Australia and Pakistan and how best to cope with the challenges they may face while living and studying in a different country.

On day 1, representatives of the Australian Department of Immigration

and Border Protection and the Australian Federal Police also held briefings where they informed participants about Australian immigration policies and civic laws. To give a festive end to day 1, a musical evening with a farewell dinner was arranged for departing awardees and invited Australia Awards alumni.

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Highlights of the evening included a Question and Answer session with DFAT representatives, alumni and new awardees and a live performance by a local musical band. Awardees and alumni actively shared their thoughts energy during the occasion.

The second day of PDB was focused on Australia Awards Alumni sharing their personal experiences of studying in Australia. Sessions with alumni helped new scholars learn strategies to face academic

challenges, cope with the stress of being away from home and family and also how to take care of their families' requirements when in Australia. The Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan said during the PDB, “It is exciting to see so many enthusiastic Pakistanis who are committed to come back to Pakistan after completing their education and contribute in the development of their country with their newly acquired skills from Australia.”

The outgoing cohort of Australia Awards Scholarships recipients covers professionals from key sectors including health, education, mining, water, trade, rural development, food security, trade- economic growth and governance.

The PDB closing day ended with warm hugs, good lucks and goodbyes to the awardees.

Learning Study Skills at LUMS

By Erum

A group of 60 Australia Awardees from across Pakistan got together at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) in October to learn study skills ahead of their departure for Australia in early 2015. Though the focus of the course was on providing the new scholars with the skills to successfully complete their master level courses at Australian universities, the 4 days long residential course was also an opportunity for participants to interact with each other

and build professional networks. One of the female participants said, “It was an amazing course that aimed at developing us personally and professionally. The kind of detail that was in the course to develop us is commendable. I am totally in awe of the Australian Government that has put so much effort into developing people like us who wouldn't have afforded to do it on their own.”

Australia Awards Pakistan in collaboration with LUMS organises study skills course every year for its new outgoing cohort. The faculty at LUMS designs the course to enable participants to learn essential study skills like academic writing, reading comprehension, research & analysis, referencing, citation, plagiarism and presentation skills.

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You might be surprised to see the title of this article, and wonder what an Australia Awards Alumni has to do with the diabetes. The term 'gestational diabetes' was new to me too until I got pregnant with my first child in 2010, during the second year of my Australian PhD journey.

thIn the 28 week of my pregnancy, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes (a form of diabetes that happens in pregnancy and goes away on its own after the birth of the baby) and I had to go on insulin on a daily basis. It was very difficult for me to manage gestational diabetes; I needed to watch and count calories in the

th th8 and 9 months of pregnancy (on top of my PhD work - I was collecting data at that time).

It seems horrible, doesn't it? In Pakistan, a pregnant woman is usually allowed and encouraged to eat and drink anything and everything (literally) in large quantities particularly in last few weeks of pregnancy. Not Me! It was very difficult for me to stop eating so much and control my diet at that stage in my pregnancy. Back in Pakistan, everybody in my family, especially my mum, was so grieved that I was having a needle (for insulin) every day and that I was deprived of carefree eating and drinking during the latter part of my pregnancy. Further, it was a horrifying thought for them that I was injecting insulin on my own.

In the meantime there in Perth, Australia, I was being educated about the risk factors and management of gestational diabetes. Indeed, diagnosis of gestational diabetes was a blessing in disguise for me. I came to know that the women who develop diabetes in pregnancy are at higher risk of developing type-2 diabetes later in life, some of them can develop type-2 diabetes within 5 years if they do not take appropriate precautionary measures. There are a number of risk factors for a woman to develop gestational diabetes as told by my diabetes educator, including being child to a parent with type 2 or type 1 diabetes. Diabetic grandparents and siblings also help identify risk factors. Being overweight and certain dietary preferences such as consumption of too much wheat and rice products are also key

ingredients for gestational diabetes as well as type-2 diabetes.

I was surprised that, to my knowledge, my other two sisters who already had children in Pakistan did not develop gestational diabetes as they shared similar familial risk factors as me. I asked this question from my diabetes educator, and she revealed that my sisters may also have had gestational diabetes, but they might had not have been tested and diagnosed due to different health standards and regulations in Pakistani hospitals. I was also educated that one cannot diagnose gestational diabetes by simply testing random blood sugar but we need to have an oral glucose tolerance test which is done in laboratory (by staying in for few hours in morning) and a controlled test with certain amount of glucose load to see body's response and insulin resistance. This all started to make sense to me when my younger sister was also diagnosed with gestational diabetes in UK.

Diabetes education became a real blessing for me. After I gave birth to my daughter in 2011, I started exercising regularly inside and outside gym. I walked religiously every day of the year, lost my pregnancy weight steadily, removed added sugar from my diet and curbed my carbohydrates (including Chapati and Rice) intake substantially. I saved all my meal plans, diabetes-care flyers and learning material and brought it back to Pakistan with me for my second pregnancy as they were too precious to throw away.

Since I returned to Pakistan upon completion of my PhD in Information Systems I have become a diabetes educator (an informal one!) for my siblings, family and colleagues in the workplace. When I educate my friends and colleagues, I can see from their responses that many women in Pakistan definitely get gestational diabetes and face the consequences because they are not aware that they

have it. Also, for those who do come to be diagnosed with it, they are often not appropriately educated how to manage it.

Women who have undiagnosed or untreated gestational diabetes can end up with having a big baby (more than 4kg birth weight), often gain too much weight, developing eyesight problems, are susceptible to still-births and developing type-2 diabetes within a few years of child birth. I remember one of my male colleagues at my workplace told me that his wife also had diabetes in pregnancy but they were never told that she could have insulin to manage high blood glucose readings.

Sometimes, I face a lot of resistance and opposition when I advise family and friends to control certain carbohydrates such as plain sugars, large amounts of chapatti and rice in diet and advocate for 30 minutes exercise a day. However, in spite of this opposition and resistance, I am very happy and proud to be a 'diabetes educator' in Pakistan and I will continue my informal diabetes awareness campaign as my own struggle to avoid type-2 diabetes continues.

I think I have brought this gift of awareness from Australia to Pakistan. I feel blessed that my efforts could play a tiny role in dealing with the diabetes epidemic in Pakistan other than merely benefiting my students from my improved research skills out of my PhD. On a lighter note, my family and friends often say to me, “we sent you to Australia to be a PhD Doctor but you seem to return as a Medical Doctor”!!!

Raising Awareness about Gestational Diabetes

By Umera

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Australian Farming Methods Benefitting Pakistani FarmersBy Haider

When I came back from Australia, I wished that our local farmers could also go there to see and learn the latest farming techniques, and return to their work here with full devotion. I have shared my entire experience of Australia with the local farmers so that they too could increase their awareness.

My return from Australia was fruitful because everything I learned there I tried to implement practically back here in Pakistan. This new knowledge improved my production yields a great deal. My achievement was that when I saw the farming methods of Bitter Gourd, I at once acted to repeat it back in Pakistan. Before it would grow and be harvested after two months. Now it survives six months and gives much greater yields. This result was beyond my expectations. Because of the scholarship I learnt a lot of new things about different crops and their production. I am proud of it. I learnt all of this just in 42 days. I am now an informal ambassador for Australia and am trying my best to raise awareness among the poor farmers of my native land. I always praise the Australian government because it taught me the latest farming techniques, which have helped me so much.

I have visited many of the villages in my district and told the people about the new methods of Australian farming, informing them that these methods will improve their production and will earn them increased revenue: if cultivation, watering and fertilisation are done at the right time, then certainly crop production and yields will improve and be beneficial to farmers. Local farmers at once copy the newly learned techniques and so they have also found success in their work.

Unfortunately, here we face an ongoing struggle to adopt those methods which are common in Australia, and historically this has affected the Pakistani market very much. However, all the other people who went to Australia were hardworking and devoted to sharing their new knowledge too, and so from my point of view this sort of scholarship is the best practical remedy for poor farmers. If more Pakistani farmers embraced these methods, I assure you Pakistan will soon become a more developed and prosperous country. /10

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The family friendly alternative energy source project – Biogas Plantsin Bajour Agency

At the start of our work to deliver the project outlined in my Small Grants Scheme proposal, we conducted a baseline survey in Bajour agency. The outcome of the survey was very interesting. It showed that, while there are many projects working in the dairy sector and many offering training for farmers, the local commercial scale dairy farmers, called Gujjars, who supply milk to the market and who are the backbone of the dairy industry, were often denied access to these trainings. On further investigation we found that there is often a lack of trust between these farmers and agricultural/livestock extension workers. These Gujjars keep buffaloes and cows for milking in pens near their houses. Manure is usually dumped outside their houses and they often sell dung cakes. Mostly traditional methods are used and many are sceptical of change. This lack of trust in extension workers/trainers often represents a hurdle to the adoption of modern technology and management practices.

There are many families amongst these farmers whose children, especially girls, whose job is to collect dung for use as a source of fuel and also to make dung cakes for sale. This occupies all their time and often keeps them from school.

The biogas project is based on the idea of more efficiently using farm yard manure, by converting it into a cheap energy source and high quality fertilizer.

Figure 2: Traditional animal shed in Bajour Agency

Figure 1: Farm manure dumped outside and a source of infections

Figure 3: Farmer meeting Figure 4: A farmer with a disability, perfect client for our biogas plant

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This project will not only provide an alternative energy source but will also increase the farmers trust in research and extension workers. This will help them to adopt more modern husbandry practices. The farmers for this project will be selected on the basis of numbers of animals owned, space available and the willingness/ability to run this biogas plant as per project instructions. We are building six biogas plants with the money provided by the Australia Awards.

On completion of this project, it is hoped that the farmers' trust in extension and research institution will be restored. The

slurry coming out of the biogas can be used as fertilizer. We are planning to develop strategies so that the farmers can start selling this biogas slurry in plastic bags after sun drying. This will further help them to improve their income and provide a better alternative to selling dung cakes. Though this is a small project and won't bring a revolutionary change in the life of farmers, if successful, it will increase farmers' trust levels and will encourage them and others to adopt extension messages from various departments/projects in the future.

Furthermore it will encourage other farmers with appropriate resources to build their own biogas plants. Increased efficiency and increased income also increases the likelihood that family members will be able to participate in more formal education and employment in future.

I am very grateful to the Australia Awards for their assistance via the Small Grants Scheme and I look forward to reporting back to you again once the six biogas plants have been made operational.

Figure 5: Completed biogas Plant, courtesy DR Shabeer REON energy solutions

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It was the most enchanting experience of my life to be selected for an Australia Award scholarship and a thrilling opportunity to prove myself by achieving a foreign degree. I never imagined that one day, all of sudden, I would manage to escape from my busy routine by successfully applying for this scholarship with full zeal and zest.

In today's highly competitive world, knowing I definitely had the scholarship, I started feeling a unique sense of confidence in myself. However, this soon came to an end when I failed in one of my units of study, at the end of my first semester at the University of Sydney. Firstly, I was shocked, as I was not expecting this at all, but then I immediately sent an email to my lecturer to request that they re-check of my paper. After giving the bad news to my husband, I rushed to the Student Contact Officer office on campus with tears in my eyes, in order to know their intentions concerning the continuity of my scholarship, as I couldn't remember the details of the terms and conditions of the contract I signed before reaching Australia. Ahhhh…..I still remember that shuddering across my body while conversing with the Student Contact Officer that day. But I soon realized that it was not the end of the world.

The way Ms. Amy Wan counselled me was so endearing that gradually I began to come out of that bloodcurdling phase. She was very friendly as she explained to me the future academic strategy to fix things. This was definitely demanding for me, but at least I was offered a way out. In such a tongue-tied state I saw her as an angel for me. She provided the best possible moral support, which I really needed that day, as I was visualizing myself going home without any degree. Even today, I can recall her smiling face while reassuring me. A brighter epoch began when I studied harder and harder during my next two semesters. In the end I was able to score an average above 70 percent, despite my other professional engagements. Sometimes we are unable to imagine the number of challenges we might face arising out of working towards professional accomplishments. Being awarded the

scholarship was undoubtedly a success, but realizing and completing that scholarship was a challenge, and I was determined not to fail in the end. From my point of view the well-trained Student Contact Officers actually play a really impressive role in supporting students to avoid such failures, being on board all the time with words of advice and support.

In 2012 I won an Australia Award to study for a Masters in Economics, being employed at the Monetary Policy Department of the State Bank of Pakistan at the time. My stay of around two years in Sydney, Australia with my husband and son was actually the most glorious period of my life. Initially, after reaching Australia I unexpectedly experienced a severe adjustment shock but the way the Student Contact Officers counselled me was so endearing that it took me just a few days to overcome that daunting initial condition. Additionally, the mind-boggling level of multi-cultural diversity was quite therapeutic, given the initial fear of unknown and homesickness.

However, today on resuming my life in Pakistan and re-joining my office, I have started feeling a unique level of buoyancy in myself. Now I work with a more courageous attitude, greater faith in my capabilities and am more committed to my work and personal life.

The most admirable trait I gained in my personality from the Aussie life style is respect for punctuality, which is rare in Pakistan. However, hopefully, returning scholars like us may efficiently inculcate such timely comportment nationwide.

I am feeling much more vigilant and responsible towards my job performance, as my seniors' expectations from me have 'gone sky-high' on my return, and they usually put me forward as an example for my

Beside my Academic Achievement…...

peer group. During official meetings my bosses consider my rationalization, being constructive and productive for their policy formulation purposes. All this has truly led me to even greater heights of accountability and self-actualization. Even if someone criticizes my work, I take it positively instead of becoming apprehensive as I may have prior to my scholarship.

Similarly, my personal life has spruced up too. My family, especially my mother and husband, feel proud of me and admire my efforts and hard-work. My married female friends and cousins see me as a paradigm for successfully studying abroad while managing family responsibilities. For my little son, he has become amazingly fluent in English, which was one of my dreams.

Aside from my Uni-life, being an economic analyst I luckily got a chance to experience the central banking environment of Australia, during an informal apprenticeship at the Reserve Bank of Australia. This was remarkable exposure for my professional growth as I was exposed to several in-house but relevant training programs which added to my dexterity and academic flair.

Yet another gratifying exposure for me was to enjoy my semester breaks in Canada, New Zealand, and Tasmania. This was truly helpful in revivifying my brain after nerve-racking exams, assignments and presentations.

It was a Bumpy Road for me……..

By Saima

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A Welcome Home for Australia Awardes Students returning to Pakistan

By Kaukab

The Australia Awards provides an excellent opportunity to study in Australia, and have a once in a lifetime experience of living in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. I have been privileged to have been offered this opportunity, and was a student at the Australian National University (ANU), Canberra in the year 2013. I studied for a Master of Public Policy from the renowned Crawford School of Public Policy, where I was lucky to be taught by a team of learned professors in the field of public policy and governance.

On returning to Pakistan in December 2013, I re-joined the Government of the Punjab as an Officer of the Secretariat Group. After studying the Master's program from ANU and, having observed the public services being provided by the Australian Government to the people living in Australia, I have acquired new perspectives on governance for the betterment of my country. The degree from Australia has added to the credence of my professional opinions, and my proposals for reforms in governance. I have been given a chance to deliver lectures on the topic of governance in the Management and Professional

Development Department of Government of the Punjab; a platform to spread the knowledge gained from study in Australia among my colleagues.

Pakistan has considerable potential for growth and development as the country is endowed with an immense wealth of human resources and other natural reserves and resources. We are the human capital of Pakistan and the training we have received as a result of the Australia Awards scholarship has added to our capabilities and strengths as leaders in various sectors of the country. Whether in the public sector or private enterprises, we should employ the knowledge gained from our study in Australia, and the experience of the culture of performance as witnessed in that country, to the development of our country.

In our individual capacities we can spread this knowledge and experience among our colleagues, and in our organizations to contribute to the collective dream of developing our

country. I will take this opportunity to encourage the Australia Awards Alumni (AAA) who are about to return to Pakistan to make the best use of their knowledge and experience for the development of their country. The Australia Awards Alumni Association in Pakistan is a very useful forum for achieving this objective. Not only can the Alumni seek guidance from each other and share ideas among them, through various activities round the year the AAA provides ample opportunity for the Alumni to contribute towards bringing changes in their respective organizations, for a collective change in the country. Therefore, Australia Awardees returning to Pakistan on completion of their studies should remain connected to the Alumni Association.

I sincerely hope that students coming back from Australia in December 2014 will find greater opportunities awaiting them than prior to their study in Australia, and that they will contribute towards the development of their country in many significant ways.

Australia Awards Alumni Professional Development Workshops

By Faizia

The Australia Awards Alumni Network (AAAN) continues to do its bit to contribute to cause of Pakistan's economic and social development and poverty reduction in line with the Millennium Development Goals. To meet these goals, the Australia Awards arranges professional development workshops for its alumni to discuss these development issues, challenges and ways forward in Pakistan by opening up learning opportunities that allow them to share information. Keeping these factors in mind, the Australia Awards has recently arranged two seminars to give alumni a chance to learn about these issues and to develop linkages to chalk out ways to counter them.

Prevailing Food Security Issues in Pakistan

Australia Awards alumnus Dr Ahsan Rana conducted a session on the Prevailing Food Security Issues in

ndPakistan in Lahore on 22 March 2014. The seminar provided alumni with greater insight into the evolution of food security in Pakistan and how a multi-dimensional approach is needed to address the problem. He explained how this approach to food security can help develop better connectivity between farms and markets; establish a framework for a fair market mechanism and improve coordination among major stakeholders. This will

not only contribute towards enhancing productivity but will also help solve the problem of food security by increasing the purchasing power of people.

Australia Awards alumni Mr Sajjad Haider, who lives with disability, and Ms Nazia Hasan who works for people with disabilities, reflected on the general perceptions and attitudes towards people with disability in

thLahore on 18 October 2014. The event focused on how people with disability face discrimination, exclusion

Review of Different Perspectives of Disability and Best Practices

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and inequality by society and how they can be better facilitated in the education system and workplace.

They emphasised the fact that education is the key to a society inclusive of people with disability. It gives them an

opportunity to learn and achieve like everyone. They can and should work to experience being independent. Secretary of Special Education in Punjab, Mr Abdul Nafay also attended the seminar as the key note speaker. He said he believed people with

disability have the capacity to contribute towards the social and economic development of the country. Providing equal opportunities will enable them to perform to their potential and contribute towards the prosperity of Pakistan.

Australia Awards Alumni Pakistan – Executive CommitteeBy Faizia

The second Australia Awards Alumni Pakistan – Executive Committee was elected through online voting by alumni in November 2014. A transparent system was set up on the alumni forum to ensure that the process was fair and smooth. We are pleased to announce the election results:

Ms Mahjabeen Qazi

My Syed M. Ali Shah

Ms Tayyaba Khalil

Mr Ali Thahim

Mr Sohail Ayaz

President

Vice President

Membership Secretary

Secretary

Treasurer

Executive Member

Announcement

Small Grants Scheme 2nd Round

Ms Mehwish Maria &Mr Muhammad Junaid

We wish the new EC the best of luck for their tenure and hope it will be proactive in steering the alumni network.

The second round of the Small Grants Scheme for alumni will be announced in January 2015 in which up to 5 small grants may be awarded. Log on to our website

in early January for details on how to apply for a small grant and an application form.

www.australiaawardspakistan.org

Applications for Scholarship 2016 intake

Alumni Web Forum

Scholarship applications for the Australia Awards 2016 intake will open in February 2015. Please inform your networks to keep a look out on our website for actual dates and details of how to apply.

The alumni web forum is a secure platform for all Australia Awards alumni to interact, explore opportunities of developing linkages and to ensure the sustainability of the alumni network. If you have not logged on to the alumni web forum in a long time, or are facing difficulty logging in, please send us your query by writing to

. alumni@australiaawardspakistan.org

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