A Pre-Departure Briefing (PDB) for awardees departing for Australia in June 2024 to commence their studies in Semester II took place on 12-13 April at Australian Corner, Central Children’s Library. It was attended by seven awardees and their carers and dependents. In attendance were HE Katie Smith, Ambassador of Australia to Mongolia, Mr. D. Baatarsaikhan, Member of the Civil Service Council of Mongolia, Australia Awards alumni, Australian volunteers, and representatives of Mozzies Alumni Association. On behalf of Australia Awards – Mongolia, Ms. L. Enkhtuvshin, the Country Program Manager, congratulated the awardees on their success before inviting awardees to introduce themselves and their carers and family members and to talk about where they worked in Mongolia, where they would be studying in Australia and their chosen field of studies.

HE Katie Smith, Ambassador of Australia to Mongolia, Mr. D. Baatarsaikhan, Member of the Civil Service Council of Mongolia, made opening remarks. First, they congratulated the awardees on getting the prestigious Australia Awards Scholarship. They shared some advice with the awardees on Australian cultural differences. They encouraged them to make the best of their stay in Australia by meeting new people and enhancing Mongolian and Australian connections. Finally, they wished the awardees success with their studies and reminded them to return to contribute to development in Mongolia in their fields.

The first day of the PDB focused on DFAT’s information kit about living and studying in Australia. Australia Awards alumni shared their personal experiences in areas such as finding accommodation, bringing family, settling into a new environment, studying and working in Australia, and gender and disability inclusion. An additional topic on Australian sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment was introduced to awardees for prevention.

The second day was dedicated to cultural orientation and sharing experiences. Awardees were grouped into three cities where they would be living: Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney, and they gained valuable insights from Australia Awards alumni and Australian Volunteers.

The Mongolia-Australia Alumni Association (Mozzies) representative and Women’s Leadership Program alumni shared their personal and professional experiences and discussed how awardees could benefit from maintaining ongoing connections with Australia Awards alumni when they returned to Mongolia. Finally, they wished the awardees good luck with their studies and wished them to enjoy their time with their families in Australia.