IEAA Scholarships and Fellowships Forum 2026

Johan is the Senior Manager, Global Sponsorship and Mobility at The University of Queensland. This portfolio for instance includes sponsored students, Australia Awards, NCP and a range of international scholarships. Johan brings a wealth of knowledge having previously worked at The Australian National University in the international portfolio for over 10 years, for the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Swedish Department of Defence and as Director, Study Canberra for the ACT Government. Johan has studied at Lund University, University of Queensland, Harvard University, Griffith University and most recently at The Australian National University. He has received several industry accolades for his contribution to the international education sector and Johan is an IEAA Associate Fellow.

Brett is the Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand at Duolingo, the creator of the Duolingo English Test. Previously, he served as the CEO of English Australia, representing English language colleges nationally. With a wealth of experience, Brett has held pivotal roles such as Director International at the University of Newcastle and Murdoch University, and as General Manager at Allianz Global Assistance. His commitment to international education is underscored by his leadership, including a past presidency at the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA), and active involvement on various state and national Boards, including the National Council for International Education.

Phillip is the inaugural Director, International Development at Adelaide University, where he leads the University’s sponsor engagement and international development portfolio. He brings more than 25 years of experience across higher education, international development, and global partnerships, with a focus on building and managing complex partnerships, government and institutional sponsor relations, and delivering capacity building initiatives aligned with Australia’s development priorities. Phillip works closely with sponsors, governments, and international partners to design and deliver scholarship, fellowship, and development programs that strengthen global collaboration and support sustainable outcomes across diverse regions worldwide.

Det Heav is an Australia Awards scholar from Cambodia currently undertaking a Master of Environmental Management and Development at the Australian National University. Prior to commencing his studies in Australia, he worked with the Department of Environment and Land Management in Cambodia, contributing to environmental governance and policy implementation. As a person with visual impairment, Det is passionate about advancing disability inclusion, accessibility, and equitable opportunities in education and public policy. Through storytelling and social media engagement, he shares his journey as an international scholar to inspire others, particularly people with disabilities, to pursue higher education and leadership opportunities. His advocacy focuses on the power of authentic voices to create social impact, foster inclusion, and strengthen cross-cultural understanding.

Anna is a historian and international education expert with. Prior to her PhD she worked in scholarships management, international education and higher education policy. Anna is currently the Executive Coordinator of the Centre for Contemporary Histories and an Associate Teaching Fellow at Deakin University. Her first book, Mandates and Missteps, was published by ANU Press in 2024. Her research interests include international education, international development, foreign policy, decolonisation and the intersections between these things. Anna has a PhD from Deakin University. Her thesis was awarded the Outstanding Postgraduate Thesis Award in the 2022 IEAA Excellence Awards. Anna is a Senior Fellow of the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) and was the inaugural convener of the IEAA Scholarships and Fellowships Network.

Punam Malik has been serving as the Education Officer at the Botswana High Commission in Canberra since September 2008. She brings 37 years of experience in the education sector, spanning teaching, policy development, curriculum design, liaison work, logistics, and administration. In her current role, Ms. Malik oversees and supports Botswana’s international students in Australia and New Zealand, monitoring both their academic progress and welfare needs. She also coordinates key financial and accounting functions, including budgeting, assessments, payments, and program evaluation, ensuring effective management of education-related initiatives.

Clare is the Scholar and Alumni Engagement Adviser with the Australia Awards Global Support Unit. Clare is an international development practitioner who brings 15 years' experience delivering DFAT-funded public diplomacy programs, specialising in scholar and alumni engagement. She has worked across the Indo-Pacific region supporting the design and implementation of high-quality engagement strategies, leadership initiatives and evidence-based program improvements that strengthen long-term alumni linkages with Australia. Clare is recognised for her ability to navigate sensitive and complex program environments and translate insights into practical, high-impact activities for scholars, fellows and alumni.

Susan O’Connell is the coordinator of the John Allwright Fellowship (JAF) program with over 25 years of experience in the private sector, focusing on relationship management in the information technology, education, and grant funding industries, as well as 2 years in the Australian public sector as the Senior Program Officer in Research and Capacity Development. The JAF is a competitive, merit-based program available to scientists or economists from partner countries currently or recently involved in ACIAR research projects. It offers the opportunity to obtain formal postgraduate qualifications at an Australian tertiary institution. The primary aim of the Fellowship is to strengthen scientific research capability and institutional links in ACIAR partner countries to undertake high-quality and impactful research.

Keri is an Economist with over 18 years’ experience in international education. He previously worked at Macquarie University after completing his Master in International Business. He was the Virtual Marketing Coordinator at Macquarie International which saw him manage, not only the universities international online marketing strategies, but also managed the marketing intelligence reports, student communication and enquiry protocols for Macquarie International. He established Studymove in 2007 and has completed various consulting projects for numerous Australian and International universities in the areas of benchmarking in Learning Abroad, marketing intelligence and online marketing. Keri loves stats and loves telling a story with data! He has presented at various domestic and international conferences including AIEC, APAIE and NAFSA. Keri won the 2025 IEAA Excellence Award in Professional Commentary.

Within an hour of completing his responsibilities as a Cabinet Minister at Parliament House in January 2025, Bill Shorten crossed town and began work in his new role as Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Canberra. The former leader of the Australian Labor Party (2013-2019), co-architect of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, one of Australia’s most important social reforms, does not waste time. Bill’s early career was in the union movement, organising for the Australian Workers’ Union, Australia’s oldest. As national secretary he was CEO of the union for 6 years, employing hundreds of staff, managing its multi-million-dollar property portfolio and forging positive relationships with institutions and organisations spanning the sectors of the Australian economy. He was also a Director of Australian Super for nearly 10 years, helping to create Australia’s largest superannuation fund. Familiarity with the higher education sector was instilled in Bill early. His mother and aunt were academics. Bill earned three degrees - Bachelor of Arts (Monash), Bachelor of Law (Monash) and a Masters of Business Administration (University of Melbourne Business School). Elected in 2007 to the first of six successive terms as the Member for Maribyrnong in the Federal Parliament, Bill soon had responsibilities as a parliamentary secretary, assistant minister and later Cabinet Minister across a varied range of executive government fields: disabilities and children’s services (where the NDIS was born); bushfire recovery, assistant Treasurer, financial services and superannuation; education; employment and workplace relations; and NDIS and government services. During his six years as Opposition Leader, he fought two federal election campaigns. As its Vice-Chancellor and President, Bill’s broad aim for the University of Canberra is continuous improvement – in the student experience, the teacher experience, the researcher experience and in the ways UC contributes to the community of Canberra, the region, the nation and the world. Bill believes education is the hope of the world. It has lifted millions out of poverty and been the most successful force for equality. It is an asset that furthers the career and life of the individual as much as it underpins the productive capacity of the economy. The teaching of critical thinking that is core to university studies, Bill said, will help preserve our democracy.

Dang is First Secretary (Education) at the Embassy of Vietnam.

A former management consultant and economist by training, Yara Vasina has been working in the international education industry since 2014, developing strategies and leading teams in business and partnership development, student recruitment, global mobility, marketing, and policy. She has obtained extensive professional and academic experience in leading Australian universities and state government. A passionate supporter of the personal and professional growth achieved by learning abroad, Yara's work has a strong focus on equity, social justice, and inclusion of diverse cohorts of students in these experiences. In 2020 she pivoted inaugural virtual global programs in Australia and as a result was awarded a prestigious Churchill Fellowship to expand her knowledge in this area. A recipient of numerous scholarships and fellowships and a regular speaker at international conferences, Yara has been an active contributor to the industry by serving as a board member, industry volunteer and students’ mentor.