Australia Awards South and West Asia

More than twenty new Australia Awards Scholarship alumni attended a “Welcome Home and Reintegration Workshop” held in Kathmandu on 19 May. The event supported alumni to reintegrate into Nepal’s workforce and social landscape while promoting development impact. It also served as a platform to celebrate achievements, share experiences, and explore opportunities for continued engagement through Australia Awards alumni networks.

The new alumni pictured with Mr Jones-Virma (front row, fifth from left) along with other representatives of the Australian Embassy in Nepal, Australia Awards staff and other alumni.

Delivering the welcome address, Dylan Jones-Virma, Head of Development at the Australian Embassy in Nepal, congratulated the alumni on earning their Australian degrees. “Your journey has likely included stress, sleepless nights and the challenge of being far from home. Today we celebrate your success,” he said.

Mr Jones-Virma acknowledged the challenges alumni may face upon returning home, including a sense of “reverse cultural shock” both personally and professionally. “Encountering a gap between expectations and opportunities is common, but your passion and skills are what will carry you forward,” he said. He also highlighted the scale and significance of the Australia Awards alumni network, with more than 100,000 alumni worldwide and nearly 1,300 in Nepal. “Australia Awards alumni are leaders, influencers and partners of Australia,” he said, encouraging participants to continue contributing to Nepal’s development.

Mr Jones-Virma addressing the attendees.

Ananta Poudyal, President of the Association of Nepalese Alumni from Australia, congratulated the alumni and reminded them of their responsibility to Nepal. “You are among the brightest and most promising professionals of Nepal. But please do not take that only as a compliment. Take it also as a responsibility,” he said. He urged them to join the alumni community—a dynamic network of professionals from the public, private and civil society sectors, offering opportunities for collaboration and knowledge exchange.

Ananta addressing the alumni.

A key highlight of the event was the alumni experience-sharing session, where participants reflected on their time in Australia. Many described it as enriching and transformative, citing high-quality academic resources, efficient public transport, and vibrant experiences.

Alum Ranjana Bishwakarma, who studied a Master of International Law and Diplomacy at the Australian National University, said, “Canberra left me with many great memories, but what still stands out is its public transport. At times, I had an entire bus to myself. It felt less like a commute and more like a quiet, personal tour of the city thoughtfully provided by the Australian Capital Territory Government.”

Alum Ranjana reflecting on her Australia Awards experience.

Participants also shared light-hearted memories, including humorous mishaps, such as getting lost while using navigation apps or unexpected encounters with kangaroos.

The event also featured updates on participants’ Development Impact and Linkages Plans, which outline how alumni will apply their skills in Nepal. Notable work included research on caste issues in disability rights jurisprudence, digitisation of road networks, and analysis of judicial settlement trends. Others highlighted contributions to improving infrastructure quality and efforts to promote gender equality and social inclusion through journalism.

A key moment of the discussion came when alum Manju Gurung, who completed a Master of Transport at the University of Sydney, shared how she had introduced the “Client–Contractor concept” after returning to Nepal. She explained that this approach, which she learnt during her Scholarship, would “help improve the quality of bridge construction through knowledge sharing.”

Alum Manju sharing her insights at the event.

The event also introduced avenues for alumni engagement under three key pillars: connect, mobilise and celebrate. Alumni were encouraged to participate in networking events and workshops, contribute as resource persons in program activities, and showcase their achievements.

The Welcome Home and Reintegration Workshop is an important annual Australia Awards activity supporting returning alumni. Currently, thirty-five Nepali scholars are pursuing master’s degrees in Australia through Australia Awards Scholarships, continuing a long-standing partnership focused on building leadership and strengthening development capacity in Nepal.