On 13 December 2018, Australian High Commissioner Mr. Bruce Davis presented Rhoda Karl and Emma Minimbi with the Australia Awards Papua New Guinea Intake 2019 Allison Sudradjat Prize. Both recipients will be pursuing further studies in Australia in 2019.
The Award is given in memory of Allison Sudradjat, a former senior Australian Government staff member who passed away in 2007 whilst attached to the Australian Embassy in Indonesia. Allison was deeply passionate about education as a pillar of development. From 1996 to 2000 she worked at the AUSAID office in Port Moresby.
Each year, six outstanding Australia Awards Scholarship recipients (four from Indonesia and two from Papua New Guinea) are awarded the Allison Sudradjat Prize.
Rhoda, Assistant Secretary of the Revenue Policy Branch- Macroeconomic Policy Division at the Department of Treasury, will be pursuing a Master of Taxation at Curtin University, Western Australia. She aims to deepen her knowledge of tax policy issues. “I am constantly thinking about policy issues, legal aspects, and implementation. In a world that is fast becoming integrated with technologies, money and many other things changing hands at the click of a button, PNG cannot afford to continue doing business the same old way.… the tax system is a critical enabler for PNG to achieve its development goals outlined in its overarching development plans.”
Emma is a lawyer with Ashurts PNG in Port Moresby and a member of the PNG Law Society. She will be studying a Master of Public and International Law at the University of Melbourne, Victoria. She hopes to specialise in international public law and contribute to human rights and gender equality in PNG. “This study program will equip me with the knowledge of understanding international politics in order to bridge the gaps in law between Papua New Guinea and the international community. It will improve capacity development which will, in turn, create an enabling environment for policy and strategy development and implementation.”
Upon successful completion of their studies, Rhonda and Emma will return to PNG with new knowledge and skills that will contribute immensely to their sectors. They will join the ranks of 22 previous Allison Sudradjat Prize recipients from PNG, who have completed diverse projects ranging from public policy research to disaster response plan training and wildlife conservation.