Kathmandu: More than twenty Australia Awards Scholarship Alumni Attended the “Welcome Home and Reintegration Workshop” held in Kathmandu on May 29. 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.
Dylan Jones-Virma, Head of Development at the Australian Embassy in Nepal, while delivering the welcome address, 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.
Jones-Virma acknowledged the challenges that the alumnus must have faced when returning home, he mentioned 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.
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.
The Embassy stated that a key highlight of the event was the alumni experience-sharing session, where participants reflected on their time in Australia. Many alumni described the experience as enriching and transformative, citing high-quality academic resources, efficient public transport, and vibrant experiences.
Alum Ranjana Bishwakarma, Student of Masters of International 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.”
The event also featured updates on participants’ Development Impact and Linkages Plans, which outline how alumni will apply their skills in Nepal. Some works included research on a range of topics.
A key moment of the discussion came when alum Manju Gurung, who completed her 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.”
