Commonwealth Uth

2011 Australian Govt Scholarships for Developing Countries

The Australian Leadership Award Scholarships (ALA Scholarships) are long term development awards aimed at enhancing leadership and building partnerships and linkages within developing countries, while addressing priority development areas.

Up to 200 Australian Leadership Award Scholarships will be available on an annual basis for high achievers wishing to undertake postgraduate study at an Australian higher education institution.
ALA Scholarships target those whose chosen field of study equips them to play a significant role in addressing, researching or combating development challenges in their country and/or region. Awardees will be provided with opportunities to enhance their leadership capacity and extend their networks.

How to apply for an ADS or ALA scholarship

1) Check the open and close dates for your country, and select your country of citizenship/residency from the list of participating countries for specific information on eligibility, priority areas and how to apply. Participating countries

2) If you intend to apply, you must read the scholarships handbook. The handbook provides information on all aspects of the scholarships including general eligibility requirements, selection processes, entitlements, responsibilities, etc. Note that AusAID may revise and update the handbook at any time without notice.

3) Some countries encourage and allow you to apply online (only open until 31 May 2011), other countries require hard-copy applications only. See Participating countries for the relevant process.

Applying online
Go to the Online Australian Scholarships Information System (OASIS) website. When you register online, you will be required to answer some questions to establish your eligibility. You will then be given a unique registration number, username and password.

You do not need to submit your application immediately. You can update your draft application form as well as attach and update supporting documentation up until 31 May 2011, or an earlier date specified on the relevant country profile. Once you submit your application you cannot do anything more with it.

Refer to the Applicant’s Online User Manual if you need help: OASIS Applicant User Guide.

Applying by mail

If you are unable to submit your application online please check your country profile for contact details to obtain a hardcopy application form and any other templates such as referee reports (if applicable).

You may apply by mail if you cannot access the internet. Printed application forms can be obtained from the contact listed on your country profile, or from the appropriate Australian High Commission, Embassy or their Managing Contractor.

Completed hard copy application forms and supporting documentation must be submitted by the deadline specified by your country. See opening and closing dates for each country

University of Buea, Cameroon, July 26-30 2010
With support from the Association of Commonwealth Universities

Sixty years after its formation, the Commonwealth still brings together a quarter of the world’s population. In November, Heads of Government from the 54 member states will meet in Perth, Australia, to receive a major report from an independent Eminent Persons Group on its future structure and activities. Activities such as the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Scholarships have a huge impact on the lives of millions. The Commonwealth claims to be a force for the ideals of democracy, human rights and good governance.

The inaugural Commonwealth Summer School will provide a unique opportunity for students from throughout the Commonwealth to engage with each other, and a team of international academics, in an informal atmosphere. Topics will embrace both the role of the Commonwealth and its impact on a range of major policy issues. There will also be sessions on how the Commonwealth can better engage with young people, through structures such as the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan.

The School is open to participants from all disciplines, who are currently studying at the ACU member institutions. Delegates should either be studying in the final undergraduate year, or at postgraduate level. To facilitate maximum discussion, we are aiming to restrict attendance to around sixty.

Further details of the conference, including application forms and the current draft programme, can be found at the ACU web site – http://www.acu.ac.uk/conferences/commonwealth_summer_school_2011 . The ACU is also offering a limited number of bursaries to support the participation of student delegates who could not otherwise afford to travel.

REGISTRATION FORM

Representatives from eleven (11) tertiary institutions in the Commonwealth Caribbean met for the first time in Georgetown, Guyana in November 2010, at a historic roundtable convened under the auspices of the Commonwealth Youth Programme Caribbean Centre. The Round Table took place with the support and collaboration of the University of Guyana (UG).

The Round Table assessed the common needs and development aspirations of tertiary students’ movements in relation to the social and well being concerns of the demographic as well as related to issues of educational reform.

The inaugural Roundtable culminated with a decision to appoint a special team of representatives to commence work on a draft proposal for a Regional Students Movement.

The Special Team met in Jamaica in February 2011 and completed a draft Constitution that will be widely circulated in the Region. They also agreed on an Implementation Plan that is working towards the establishment of the Caribbean Students Movement to coincide with the next Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) to be held in June 2012 in The Bahamas.

The need to encourage students’ councils and to establish student bodies free from political interference was put on the agenda at the First Youth Forum organised in the wings of the Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) held in June 2009 in Malaysia. That Youth Forum recommended that the Commonwealth develop “standards for the governing of student bodies and organizations”.

The CYP Caribbean Centre has adopted a phased approach to support the establishment and strengthening of student youth organizations, commencing with the Round Table that provided a situational analysis of the existing institutions. This meeting signalled CYP’s strategic response to further enhancing the participation of wider networks of young people in the work of the Commonwealth, and as agents for democracy and decision-making.

The CYP Caribbean Centre will next convene a Caribbean Youth Leaders Summit in Bridgetown, Barbados in March 2011, at which presidents of national youth councils and youth networks in the Region, will have the opportunity for the first time in decades to sit together to map issues relating to their sustainability and strengthening and contribute to the development of a sustainability model for youth inclusiveness in democracy and development in the Commonwealth. According to one delegate “I must say that this is the first meeting I would be travelling to where the participants are so involved in the prep work.  I think it sets the mood and indicates that it won’t just be a talk shop.”

CSU is an organization that aims to empower and encourage young men and women to raise their voice through a mutual platform and influence on the process of policy formation and decision making.

Due to the enormous economic, educational and security challenges faced by most of the Commonwealth States, CSU believes that the need of the hour is a collaboration of innovation, passion and dedication from the youth of the entire Commonwealth region to achieve a more peaceful, integrated and prosperous world for all of.

How is the CSU different from established student unions?

Our research and discussion with several key stake holders, involving Commonwealth Representatives from around the world, government employees and student leaders from independent student organizations indicate that there is a lack of liaison between student unions and government entities. Therefore utilizing the Commonwealth’s global platform that spans around 54 countries, the CSU aims to bring all these established unions together to form a single force of young leaders that can debate on vital issues and forward their recommendations onto responsible government officials, using the means and resources of the Commonwealth.

Who will lead and manage the CSU and who will decide its agenda?

CSU was completely organized through young leaders, who had voluntarily dedicated their time and effort to produce a plan of action that resulted in the birth of this organization. In fact the idea of the CSU was first floated by the current president of National Union of Pakistani Students and Alumni [NUPSA] at the UK Student Leaders Conference.

Therefore the CSU will be entirely run by volunteers and young leaders from around the world who will themselves elect their leader and set the agenda that is important to them.

How will the CSU function?

The Commonwealth Youth Programme in London will be the CSU’s head quarter and the chair of CSU’s president. In addition, the union will have representatives in all Commonwealth States who will be responsible to gather information from their respective countries and forward it to the staff stationed at the London HQ.

On every issue that is important to the youth, regardless of their geographical restrictions, the CSU will form research teams to formulate a viable solution to the problem and then by using established communication channels of the Commonwealth, the CSU will forward their recommendations onto government institutions.

How can I be a part of CSU?

As we are brand new organization, the CSU needs your input to produce our mandate. We want to know what is important to your community, what is the one thing that you want to be changed, how can we make this world a better place or simply anything that you think needs reformation.

Share your views, volunteer your time and invest your effort towards building an organization that may well change the role of Student Leaders in the Commonwealth forever.

CYP contributes to the re-activation of the democratic students movements by coordinating secondary and tertiary student representatives and involving them in decision-making about education policies.