Oz-Dev: AusAID Short Course Awards

AusAID, the Australian Agency for International Development, manages the Australian Government’s official overseas aid program. AusAID assists developing countries to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development, in line with Australia's national interest. AusAID development awards provide rewarding higher education opportunities for people from developing countries to build skills and knowledge to promote development in their home countries and build enduring people to people linkages.

AusAID development awards provide opportunities for individuals from developing countries to undertake study ranging from vocational training, short courses and fellowships to PhD level courses. Through development awards AusAID seeks to develop the capacity and leadership skills of awardees so that they can contribute to development in their home country and to build linkages at the individual, institutional and country levels. Development award programs administered by AusAID include Australian Development Scholarships and Australian Leadership Awards Scholarships.

AusAID’s development awards are designed to achieve two mutually beneficial objectives:

(a) achieving country and regional program development outcomes through strengthened individual and institutional skills and knowledge; and

(b) supporting Australia’s broader foreign policy agenda through long-term linkages and partnerships.

The inclusion of short course awards in the Australian development awards will deliver quality Australian training in a cost effective manner, allow AusAID to respond to partner government demands and facilitate priority sectoral capacity building. Shorter awards complement and build on existing long term awards by enabling access to Australian expertise and knowledge while reducing the impact on the home country through long-term absences of key personnel. Short course awards increase the opportunities offered to AusAID’s partner countries for targeted skills training and professional development.