Australian High Commis-sioner to Caricom Ross Tysoe (AO) urged 22 returning Caribbean scholarship holders from Australia to maintain their Australian and international networks as they take their place as future leaders in their areas of expertise, at an alumni workshop held on January 24 in Port-of-Span, Trinidad.
According to a press release, the 22 professionals joined 30 Australia Award Alumni that have returned to advance the development agenda of the region. The recently returned graduates hail from eight Caricom countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Lucia and St Kitts and Nevis – each receiving a Master’s degree in an area of critical development need, including environmental management, disability education,
renewable and sustainable energy management, public health, agriculture, fisheries and social development. A total of 128 scholarships have been awarded to Caricom countries and the Dominican Republic.
In her address to the alumni, Lydia Bezeruk, First Secretary for Development Cooperation in the Caribbean, urged the graduates to become agents of change in their communities, governments and countries while remaining committed to social justice.
“The alumni were also treated to a lively and insightful presentation on leadership, professional and career development, by Mr Robert Launcelot Gregory CD, JP, a Jamai-can leadership, coaching and mentoring consultant,” the press statement said. He encouraged the alumni to fully explore and embrace their role as leaders and mentors in the development process, communicating their vision for a developed Caribbean region and empowering others to share their vision.
The workshop featured a panel presentation of four alumni from previous cohorts who shared their achievements since returning to the region: Shari-Anne Gregoire, Project Coordinator of National Land Use Policy in Dominica’s Ministry of Environment; Sherwin Fraser, Head of the Social Studies Department at President’s College, Guyana; Tanisha Lewis, distance Learning Spe-cialist at Jamaica’s Univer-sity of Technology and CEO and Founder of an e-learning consultancy and Ferique Shortte, Fisheries Officer with the Fisheries Division, St Vincent and the Grenadines. Discus-sions covered issues of overcoming reintegration challenges, implementing the skills and knowledge acquired during their studies in Australia and developing the leadership spirit.
The alumni also participated as guests of honour at Australia’s National Day Reception hosted by the high commissioner at his residence on January 25.
