On April 7, Pareena and Ricky paid a visit to Macquarie University in Sidney, Australia, which has been host to United Board scholars and fellows.

Pareena and Ricky were first warmly welcomed by Professor Simon Handley (Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research) and his colleagues Dr. Louise Dwyer (Operations Director) and Ms. Eva Lu (Graduate Research Scholarship Program Manager) at the Graduate Research Academy, where they engaged in discussions about the United Board’s scholar program to date.

Following this, they joined a morning tea with two current United Board scholars—Ms. Monique Ann Tiongco (PhD candidate in Management) and Ms. Thi Diem Phuc (Grace) Doung (PhD candidate in Educational Studies)—along with their supervisors.

The visit continued with a meet-and-greet with Professor Amanda Barnier (Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research Performance) and Dr. Louise Dwyer, focusing on the United Board Fellows Program. This was followed by a session with Mr. Jonathan Wylie (Vice-President, Strategy, Planning and Performance) and Mr. Stephan Fan (Director, Global Partnerships and Protocol), where they discussed educational opportunities in Asia.

In the evening, Monique and Grace joined Pareena and Ricky for dinner, in a relaxed setting to share their experiences at Macquarie and give feedback on the scholarship program. Monique and Grace expressed appreciation for the support received and shared their academic and personal growth during their studies.

The visit significantly strengthened the ties between the United Board and Macquarie University, a partner in the Southern Hemisphere, deepening collaboration on the Fellows and the faculty scholar programs and in identifying potential resource persons for future United Board initiatives.

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