Graduate Talk Series Session 5: Australia Awards Scholarship: One scholar's journey and insights

Through one scholar’s journey, what does it really take to win an Australia Awards Scholarship?

In early April, Parami University Career Development Center invited Ma Naychi Thel Kyaw Tun, the awardee of the Australia Awards Scholarship, for the fifth Graduate Talk Session, titled “ One Scholar’s Journey and Insights.” 

The speaker, Ma Naychi, is a gender and minority rights advocate who is actively working to uplift underrepresented communities in Myanmar. With solid experience in the non-profit sector, she has consistently worked in social justice, focusing on advancing social harmony and addressing gender issues in Myanmar. Her recent work emphasizes grassroots initiatives that support community development and build capacity for vulnerable groups to achieve sustainable impact.

Since she engages with regional issues, she is a former country lead for the Core Leadership Team 2024 for YSEALI WLA (Women’s Leadership Academy) and a YSEALI academic fellow at Western Washington University, focusing on Society and Governance studies for the 2025 Spring Intake. She is currently pursuing a Master of Development Studies (Gender and Development Specialization) at the University of Melbourne, funded by an Australia Awards Scholarship. She is also serving as a delegate in Model ASEAN-Australia 2026, contributing to simulated diplomatic discussions on regional cooperation and policy development.

In this session, the speaker covered two key aspects of the Australia Awards Scholarship Program: general information and the preparation process. In the first part, she explained the program information: fully funded, full-time postgraduate studies at partnered universities in Australia. She mentioned that there were three programs under the Australia Awards, including Australia Awards Scholarships, Australia for ASEAN, and the Mekong Australia Partnership for Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. 

She then highlighted the priority fields, which include education, public health, human rights, democratic governance, gender equality, social inclusion and development, environmental and natural resources, and economic development. As part of the scholarship benefits, awardees receive financial, preparatory, and academic support throughout the program. 

In the second part, she walked participants through the preparation process, including eligibility, the application steps, and strategies for building a strong application. She outlined six main eligibility criteria: citizenship and residency, academic background, work experience, field of study, degree type, and a clear development impact plan. She also shared practical tips for writing essays and designing a meaningful development impact plan. 

She encouraged participants to apply to the program even if they felt unprepared. Sharing her own experience, she said: “This was my first time applying for the Australia Awards Scholarship, and I simply wrote my personal story in my essays. To my surprise, I was selected and am now continuing my studies in my chosen field. So I encourage everyone to give it a try—even if you feel you’re not ready or don’t have enough.”

Through Ma Naychi’s journey, participants were reminded that authenticity, clarity of purpose, and the courage to take the first step can make a significant difference. Her story left attendees with a renewed sense of confidence to apply their own experiences and aspirations to meaningful opportunities such as the Australia Awards Scholarship and others.