Australia Awards
Farewell Celebration
Friday 3 July, 2026
Thank you for joining us online to celebrate the achievements of our Australia Awards scholars. Our livestream will commence on Friday, 3 July, at 1.00pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST).
This event is all about honouring the remarkable achievements of our awardees, and we are so happy to have you join us from wherever you are in the world. The Australia Awards Farewell Celebration recognises the end of our scholars’ time in Australia and the start of a new journey back home and beyond.
We will hear from university representatives and a graduating scholar speaking on behalf of the cohort, before a certificate ceremony to recognise the journey and accomplishments of each awardee.
Thank you for being part of this joyful occasion, and congratulations to all of our incredible awardees!
Live captions are available in English - click here to view. The captions will appear as a pop-up in a new browser.
Refresh page and press play to start event. Please press 'unmute' on the event stream, and ensure volume is up high (bottom right blue bars). Should your stream appear blurry, you may increase and adjust the quality by navigating to the cogwheel on the bottom right of the video window, and select 720p or higher.
If you experience any technical difficulties, please chat to us via the box on the bottom right of this page. Otherwise, you may choose to watch the event via the alternative link here.
Program
1.00pm AEST
MC Welcome
Julia Truong
Founder, JT. Production Management
Welcome to Country
Tony Garvey
Wurundjeri Elder
1.15pm AEST
Speaker Address
Professor Sara Wills, Pro Vice Chancellor, Culture & Engagement, The University of Melbourne
1.45pm AEST
1.50pm AEST
2.20pm AEST
2.30pm AEST
2.55pm AEST
3.00pm AEST
3.20pm AEST
3.30pm AEST
3.35pm AEST
Speaker Address
Cynthia Ojiambo, Assistant Director in the Australia Awards Policy and Partnerships team at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
Awardee Ceremony Part One
Cultural Performance
Dessert
Speaker Address
Karl Brown, Senior Alumni Operations Manager
Alumni Relations - Advancement, The University of Melbourne
Speaker Address
Champamunny Ven (Munny)
Australia Awardee Graduating Student, Doctor of Philosophy (Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences) - The University of Melbourne
MC Cosing Remarks
Awardee Ceremony Part Two
Event and Livestream concludes
Speakers
Professor Sara Wills
Pro Vice Chancellor Culture & Engagement, The University of Melbourne
Professor Wesley is an expert in international affairs with extensive experience in international strategy and relations, and has worked in higher education, government and the private sector. He has published on Australian foreign policy, Asia’s international relations and strategic affairs, and the politics of state-building interventions.
Previously, Professor Wesley was Professor of International Affairs and Dean of the College of Asia and the Pacific at the Australian National University and the Director of the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs at ANU. He has also held positions as the Executive Director of the Lowy Institute for International Policy, Director of the Griffith Asia Institute at Griffith University, and Assistant Director-General for Transnational Issues at the Office of National Assessments. He has a PhD in International Relations from the University of St Andrews.
Cynthia Ojiambo
Assistant Director in the Australia Awards Policy and Partnerships team at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
Cynthia Ojiambo is an Assistant Director in the Australia Awards Policy and Partnerships team at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). She plays a key role in shaping the strategic direction of the Australia Awards program, leading policy development, governance, risk management and stakeholder engagement across a global scholarship portfolio. Working closely with Posts, Australian institutions, delivery partners and central agencies, Cynthia contributes to reforms that strengthen program quality, compliance and development impact. Her work focuses on ensuring Australia Awards remains responsive to Australia's international development priorities, while fostering effective partnerships that support scholars to become leaders and drivers of positive change in their home countries.
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Karl Brown
Senior Alumni Operations Manager, Alumni Relations - Advancement
The University of Melbourne
Karl Brown is part of the University’s Alumni Relations team, which seeks to facilitate a lifelong beneficial relationship between the University and its former students by delivering a programme of events, communications and services for more than 500,000 University of Melbourne alumni around the world.
Champamunny Ven (Munny)
Australia Awardee Graduating Student, Doctor of Philosophy (Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences) - The University of Melbourne
Champamunny Ven (Munny) is a PhD candidate at the Nossal Institute for Global Health, at the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne. As a Cambodian nurse, midwife, and public health practitioner, Munny brings a wealth of expertise in maternal and child health, with a commitment to improving equitable care. Munny holds a Master of Public Health from La Trobe University and a Bachelor’s degree in nurse-midwifery from the University of Health Sciences in Cambodia. She is completing her PhD with the support of the Australia Awards Scholarship.
Munny is passionate about leveraging her clinical and research expertise to promote maternal and child health, with a particular focus on enhancing equitable access to maternity care services for women with disabilities. Her knowledge in clinical practice, public health, and research—particularly regarding disability-inclusive maternity care reflects her dedication to driving meaningful change. She remains committed to positively impacting the health outcomes of mothers and children in Cambodia and beyond.