Alumni Profiles
Erick Andrew: Elevating the Aviation Sector
Erick Andrew is an Australia Awards Scholar alumnus who graduated from the Fiji National University, Nadi School of Aviation, with a Certificate IV in Mechanical Aircraft Engineering. Technical and Vocational Education (TVET) has been identified as a priority area within Australia Awards Vanuatu, aligning with…
Fred Samuel: An Innovator of Technological Advancements
The advancements in ICT and telecommunications have significantly contributed towards globalisation interconnectedness. We have moved into a world where those devising new transformative ideas and technologies provide evolving approaches to our political, economic and social structures. Fred Samuel has played an instrumental role in Vanuatu’s…
Vasemaca Justine Pikioune: Forging Her Way Forward as a Female in Finance
Australia Awards Vanuatu (AAV) alumnus, Vasemaca Justine Pikioune, is a leading figure in Vanuatu’s growing finance sector. She joins a growing number of women who are being recognised for their leadership qualities, particularly in an industry that has previously been considered a male-centred profession. Justine…
Naomi Sisi: Promoting Trade within Vanuatu’s Economic Landscape
International trade and economic growth were two areas highly compromised during the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, forcing many to become innovative within their own domestic markets as a result. Naomi Sisi believes this is a strong area for substantial growth that should be fostered…
Roslyn David: Creating New Norms to Eliminate Violence Against Women and Girls
Vanuatu continues to have the highest rates of violence against women and girls globally with 60 percent of ni-Vanuatu women aged 15-49 years having experienced physical and/or sexual violence. There is now great focus on addressing this issue; acknowledging both the ways this impacts upon…
Aishah Taleo: Harnessing Healthcare to Better Serve a Nation
Aishah Taleo is an Australia Awards Scholarships graduate with a passion to improve the accessibility of healthcare provisions within Vanuatu. It was her zeal for science and an opportunity to volunteer at Port Vila Central Hospital (PVCH) that fueled this ambition and saw her undertake…
Elish Naki: Teaching for a Sustainable Future
Vanuatu geologists play an important role in our everyday lives. Within the context of Vanuatu, a geologist’s role can include conserving soils and maintaining agricultural productivity, helping to discover and extract sources of energy derived from fossil fuels that are used to provide electricity and…
Alain Obed: Contributing Towards Vanuatu’s Digital Development
As technology continues to propel society forward and drastically changes the way we interact with the world around us, the modeling of safe and ethical practices becomes a necessity. Australia Awards alumnus Alain Obed, believes education and awareness is crucial as we move further into…
Eunice Niroa: Recognising Diversity within the Education System to Foster Success
The onset of Covid-19 in 2020 brought with it unexpected sacrifices for Eunice Niroa as she began her Master of Educational Studies. No sacrifices were more so than leaving her one-year-old daughter who was four by the time Eunice graduated and returned to Vanuatu. “The…
World Environment Day
Today we celebrate World Environment Day and the achievement of Michael Taiki, an Australia Awards Scholarship graduate from the Master of Environmental Management at Charles Darwin University. Michael graduated in 2020 at Charles Darwin University, proudly receiving the Power and Water Corporation Award for Outstanding…
