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Back to SearchGlobal professional services company, GHD, has partnered with the Australian Government’s New Colombo Plan to sponsor two scholars in 2019. The program supports university students with opportunities to live, study and work in the Indo-Pacific region.
GHD’s support will enable university students, Evangeline (Evie) Packett and Joel Kennaway, to undertake internships in the company’s offices in Fiji and the Philippines, as well as in one of the company’s Australian offices.
May Ngui, GHD’s Manager – Canberra and Southern NSW, participated in the scholarship presentation ceremony in Canberra with the Governor-General, His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd), and Senator, the Honourable Marise Payne, Minister for Foreign Affairs.
“At a similar age to Evie and Joel, I left my birthplace of Sarawak to study engineering in Canada. Having benefitted from so much support and encouragement back then, it gives me great pride to celebrate the achievements of young people who are also saying yes to global opportunities to gain both professional skills and intercultural understanding,” May says.
Ben White, GHD’s Market Development Leader, Asia Pacific, says, “The New Colombo Plan brings together the government, businesses, universities and the community to support young scholars who have the potential to contribute so much to regional relationships into the future. Extending our support for the New Colombo Plan in 2019 with these new scholarship opportunities is part of GHD’s contribution to building relationships with clients and communities in the region, and achieving our purpose of creating lasting community benefit wherever we work.”
Evie Packett
Evie Packett, who is studying a Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of International Security Studies at Australian National University in Canberra, will head to Fiji for her GHD internship.
“Ensuring water is used sustainably and meets the needs of growing populations will be a significant challenge over the next century. I want to spend my career working to provide holistic solutions to water management issues,” Evie says.
“This opportunity with GHD in Fiji is very exciting as it will give me a chance to apply my skills and work towards a sustainable future.”
This won’t be Evie’s first time in Fiji, having previously volunteered to do water quality monitoring in the country with the ANU Fiji Field School. As part of the New Colombo Plan, Evie will also pursue her honours research at the University of the South Pacific.
“Learning how Fiji is managing and preparing for the effects of climate change will better equip me to support Australia’s environmental adaptation plans,” Evie says.
Joel Kennaway
Joel Kennaway, who is studying Bachelor of Engineering Science / Master of Engineering (Civil & Structural) at Charles Darwin University, Darwin, will do an internship at GHD in the Philippines.
Having grown up in Timor Leste, Joel is a fluent Tetum speaker, who is keen to learn more about Asia. He is interested in gaining practical civil, structural and environmental engineering experience in the challenging tropical climate of the Philippines, and apply it back in Darwin.
“I am a proud Territorian and in my immediate future I want to carve a successful career as a civil or structural engineer in the NT,” Joel says.
“The opportunity to intern with a global engineering company such as GHD will give me greater understanding about which direction I would like to take my career.”
Joel will further extend his global experience by studying at the University of the Philippines.