2009 Endeavour Awards announced!
The Endeavour Awards team would like to congratulate the successful candidates who have now received Endeavour Awards offer letters for commencement of Awards in 2009.
The Minister for Education, the Hon Julia Gillard MP announced that 397 high achieving scholars and professionals will receive Endeavour Awards. The successful candidates are comprised of researchers, students and professionals who have been selected through a competitive, merit based process by an independent selection panel.
A total of 62 offer letters were sent to Australians to give them the opportunity to travel offshore to undertake their Endeavour Awards. The focus of study and professional development which will be undertaken by 2009 Australian Endeavour Award Holders is very broad, including political science, society and culture, microbiology and architecture. These offers included:
- 36 Endeavour Research Fellowships
- 21 Endeavour Executive Awards
- 5 Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Research Fellowships.
335 successful candidates from around the globe will receive offer letters to undertake their Endeavour Awards in Australia. These include:
- 80 Endeavour Postgraduate Awards
- 111 Endeavour Research Fellowships
- 60 Endeavour VET Awards
- 20 Endeavour Europe Awards
- 54 Endeavour Executive Awards
- 10 Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Research Fellowships
The countries which have received the highest number of Endeavour Awards are India, Vietnam, Pakistan, People’s Republic of China and Indonesia.
Congratulations to all of the successful applicants!
Second round of applications for 2009!
We are pleased to announce there will be a second round of applications opening on 1 December 2008 and closing on 31 January 2009 for commencement of Awards in 2009.
This second round is for:
- Endeavour Executive Awards
- Endeavour Research Fellowships (for outgoing Australians only)
- Endeavour Research Fellowships for Indigenous Australians
Please visit the Endeavour Awards website for more information
www.endeavour.deewr.gov.auEndeavour Awards in focus: Ling Jiang
Ling Jiang from China won an Endeavour Postgraduate Award to undertake her Masters in Educational Management.
"In 2005, I visited Australia with an education delegation from Anhui Province in China. Although it was only a 7 day short trip with a tight schedule, my heart was moved and deeply rooted with a dream to return one day to explore this beautiful land. Furthermore, my job also requires me to have a better and deeper understanding of Australia since I am the project coordinator establishing closer education links between Australia and my province. My Endeavour Award has helped me turn my dream into a reality.
Having only commenced my study at University of Western Australia (UWA) in July 2008, I am delighted to be able to share my first few months’ experience with you. 2008 is a memorable year to all Chinese people with events such as the Sichuan earthquake, the 29th Olympic Games being held in Beijing and in particular, the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.
Everywhere I went in Perth, people show their great interest in the Olympic Games, Beijing city and Chinese culture when they found out that I was from China. People smiled and said that it was a pity I couldn’t stay home to host the world and watch the events on the spot. But to me, it was even more precious to be on the other side of the world and experience the Australian’s warmth, friendship and enthusiasm towards the Olympics and my country. I am now able to relate and pass these special experiences back to China.
On 6th August, I was invited to attend the 2008 Panda Olympics held at the Confucius Institute of UWA. It was organised by the eight primary schools offering Chinese as a second language. 250 students attended this special event. Students were divided into 15 groups named after countries participating the Olympics such as China and Australia.
The first activity was to meet two new friends from other schools and to conduct an interview in Chinese. Students then participated in outdoor games especially designed with a Chinese cultural component involved. Students were cheering in Chinese: “Jia You! Jia You!” (which literally means “add oil”) to their own team members.
I was so impressed by the students’ enthusiasm in learning and using Chinese as well as the teachers’ efforts and collaboration in combining language teaching with culture and customs exposure. I delivered a short speech at the opening ceremony and I encouraged all the students to keep studying Chinese as it will open the door to many different opportunities.
During the past fortnight, two delegations of teachers and students of upper secondary schools from my province visited their sister school in Perth. Everyone has taken home with them the fond memory of the beautiful landscape of this country, creative ways of teaching and the hospitality of schools, host families and the Australian people. I was so pleased to be able to offer my help to the delegations whilst I am here in Perth and to witness the building up of bilateral relationships between schools.
So far, my study at UWA has been challenging but enjoyable. The issues we discuss in the classroom, such as educational leadership, curriculum development and innovation are always high on every country’s education agenda.
Our classroom is like an international meeting, giving us opportunities to share and explore the education practice and development in many different countries such as Australia, Singapore and Maldives. Cross-cultural education study makes me refreshed and more open-minded.
Being a student at UWA and joining different school activities gives me the opportunity to have in-depth understanding of theory and practice of education in Australia which enables me to develop a clearer vision for further educational collaboration between Anhui and Australia."
Endeavour VET Award Holder, Igede Suparwata
Whilst undertaking his Endeavour VET Award at Southbank Institute of Technology in Queensland, Igede has developed his practical skills and enhanced his knowledge in the hospitality industry. Igede, from Indonesia will also use his Endeavour Award experience as an opportunity to improve his English skills. 
“My Endeavour Award is a once in a life time study experience. I have benefited from the opportunity to learn management skills and entrepreneurship.”
Igede has had the opportunity to work with Australian colleagues and also assist in the training of fellow students by passing on his knowledge from working within the Indonesian hospitality industry. Igede will achieve his Diploma in Hospitality Management which will support his career progression to a supervisory level upon completion.