Australian Scholarships Workforce Development Open and Distance Learning Programs
Leadership Support Initiative Short Term Training Alumni Contact us Home

Australian Regional Development Scholarships (ARDS)

Introduction

Australian Regional Development Scholarships provide opportunities to people from some developing countries to study at selected education institutions outside Australia. The purpose of the scholarships is for people to gain knowledge and skills which will help the development of their home country.

Australian Regional Development Scholarships (ARDS) are funded under Australia’s overseas aid program and provide opportunities to individuals from developing countries in the Pacific to undertake studies at post-secondary education at selected institutions outside Australia. To date the ARDS program has supported over 1,800 awardees from fifteen nations in the Pacific Region.

The ARDS program plays an important and growing role in addressing the human resource development need of Pacific Island countries.

Recipients of the ARDS program who successfully complete their award gain relevant knowledge and skills which will promote development within their home country.


PATTAF’S Responsibility in Relation to ARDS

The ARDS program was managed by the AusAID Post in PNG until 26 August 2002, when management of the ARDS program was passed to PATTAF. The transition and handing over of responsibilities was effective.


Activities Include:

ARDS Student Management:-

PATTAF manages the logistics associated with students’ travel from their home country to the place of study, provides overall pastoral care for awardees for the duration of their scholarships and provide reports on progress and any emerging issues and problems to the Sending Post.

ARDS Financial Management:-

PATTAF administers the overall financial management of ARDS. This includes payment of stipends, fees to host education providers and allowances to individual awardees.

Top^

ARDS Students and International Support Services and Liaison

PATTAF provides a point of contact for Home Country (Sending Post), the education providers and the awardees. Education provider’s results of awardees’ academic progress are disseminated by PATTAF to Sending Posts. PATTAF liaises with education providers regarding issues relating to academic performance and behaviour of awardees. Education providers are responsible for providing academic tuition to awardees, for monitoring awardees academic performance and for providing welfare and counselling support when required. Should an awardee experience difficulties, institutions are encouraged to intervene early to address problems and to assist the awardee to complete their award in minimum time.

The institution also monitors awardee progress and advises on any award variations that may be required. The Papua New Guinea – Australia Targeted Training Facility (PATTAF) continues to oversee and maintain the Australian Regional Development Scholarships (ARDS) in 2008.


Selection of Applicants

Applicants compete on their merit in relation to academic achievement and other selection criteria.

The selection criteria vary between countries and are developed jointly by the Australian and partner governments.

AusAID has a gender-equity policy (half of the scholarships are awarded to women and half to men).

To be eligible for a scholarship applicants must:-

  1. not be a citizen of Papua New Guinea
  2. not have or be entitled to permanent residence in Australia
  3. not be married or engaged to a person who holds or is eligible to hold Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residence status (unless their country does not issue passports - the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau)
  4. meet specific eligibility criteria imposed by the Government of the applicant's country of citizenship
  5. satisfy host government's immigration requirements for regional students
  6. not hold another scholarship during the period of the ARDS
  7. not be transferring from another scholarship
  8. not hold or have held an Australian Government Scholarship in the two years preceding the proposed time of commencement of the ARDS.

image Papua New Guinea Institutions.pdf (size 52KB)*

image Courses offered by Papua New Guinea institutions.pdf (size 100KB)*


*To view all pdf documents you may require Adobe Reader. If you do not have Adobe Reader you can download a copy by clicking the following link. Download Adobe Reader

Top^

 
      Home