Celebrating higher education in Papua New Guinea with the Somare-Whitlam Awards

We were pleased to celebrate the Australia Awards In-PNG scholarship 2025 Somare-Whitlam scholars at ceremonies in Madang and Mt Hagen recently as they commence their academic year.

The In-PNG scholarships support Papua New Guineans to study education, nursing and midwifery at 12 Papua New Guinean higher education institutions, targeting critical workforce gaps across PNG. Scholarships are also available for women to take up cadetships to access careers in the maritime industry.

The program is unique and supports people to access education in critical skills needs that they otherwise may not have been able to access. It is creating a growing cohort of alumni who are often working in remote locations as teachers, nurses and midwives. Extending the honorary name to the In-PNG scholarships reflects the importance of these studies to the partnership between PNG and Australia, and to PNG’s present and future.

With this announcement, the Somare-Whitlam Award co-badging applies to both in-Australia and in-PNG cohorts under the 2025 Australia Awards program.

Australia Awards Scholarships are prestigious international awards offered by the Australian Government to the next generation of global leaders. Scholarships are offered for study in Australia, and in-PNG to meet critical workforce gaps, as well as short-term professional development opportunities.