13 March 2012
Yearly gathering of Australian Scholarships Alumni
The Australian Ambassador to Laos, HE Lynda Worthaisong, welcomed more than 100 former scholarships recipients to the annual Australian Alumni Function in the evening of Tuesday 13 March 2012.
Speaking at the alumni function Ambassador Worthaisong said “in this year of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Lao PDR and Australia, Australian scholarships alumni represent an important part of the long-standing engagement between our two countries”.
“The history of higher learning between our two countries stretches back to the Colombo Plan in the 1950s. I am very proud to say that since that time, more than 1,000 scholarship awardees have successfully gained tertiary qualifications in Australia, and returned to apply their new skills and contribute to the development of Laos”, the Ambassador said.
The alumni association’s interim committee organised a fundraising activity as part of the event, to help purchase reading books for primary school children and to provide direct support to help children improve their reading skills.
The Annual Australian Alumni function coincides with the Study in Australia Education Exhibition, in which twenty eight leading Australian universities are participating, being held at the Mercure Hotel, Vientiane on Wednesday 14 March. Any Lao students interested in opportunities for studying at Australian universities, either under scholarships or privately, are encouraged to attend the exhibition, which will run from 8:00am to 6:00pm.
Media contacts: Ms. Julie Hudson
Second Secretary
AusAID, Australian Embassy