Australia Awards South and West Asia

Tharanga Jeewanthi Perera Kurukulasooriyalage is studying a Master of Accounting and Finance at the University of Adelaide, with the support of an Australia Awards Scholarship. She began her Scholarship in January 2024 and will graduate in December 2025.

In the following video, Tharanga discusses her experiences as an Australia Awards scholar in Australia.

Tharanga sees her Australia Awards Scholarship as a great opportunity for her to develop herself and also to contribute to the development of her home country. Back in Sri Lanka, she worked as an accountant, and she found that the reporting practices in the public sector were not as advanced as in the private sector. By studying accounting and finance in Australia, she plans to help improve practices in the public sector when she returns to Sri Lanka.

She is excited to be studying at the University of Adelaide, which she says is “one of the best universities in Australia”. She considers studying at a foreign university to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and calls it “an invaluable experience”. She reports that the learning environment is advanced, is more interactive than in Sri Lanka, and offers her the chance to familiarise herself with the latest technology in the industry. After she has completed her two-year degree, she believes that she will be performing at the professional industry standard.

Having been out of tertiary education for a decade, Tharanga was afraid that she would not remember how to operate in a study environment. However, the Introductory Academic Program delivered by her university, a requirement of Australia Awards for all scholars, eased her fears on that front. “It helped me to understand the learning environment in Australia and come back to study mode easily,” she says. In addition, it also acted as a great opportunity for her to meet emerging leaders from different areas of the world and build her networks, given the fact that Australia Awards supports scholars from across the Asia, Pacific and African regions.

Tharanga (second from right) featured with other scholars at the Australia Awards End of Year Celebration event in Adelaide in November 2024.

That’s not been the only benefit of her Scholarship; far from it. “Australia Awards is a fully funded scholarship, so I’ll be free from financial stresses during the stay in Australia,” she says with relief. She has also secured one of the professional development grants offered by Australia Awards – South Asia & Mongolia, which will support her to become a professional member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand. On top of that, Tharanga has done many activities with the support of Australia Awards, such as participating in a personal branding workshop and other opportunities to develop her soft skills.

Tharanga has also explored widely in South Australia, from a boat trip at Glenelg beach to an excursion picking strawberries. Other destinations have included Victor Harbor and Urimbirra Wildlife Park. Plus, Australia Awards – South Asia & Mongolia has given her the opportunity to learn about Australia’s First Nations people. Together with other scholars, she visited Living Kaurna Cultural Centre and spent a whole day there. “We understood how they are respecting […] nature and their cultural inheritance,” she says.

Tharanga (left) hugging an 800 -year-old canoe tree with fellow Sri Lankan scholar Anbarasi Senthilnesan at the Warriparinga wetlands in Adelaide.

But it’s her university that has made the biggest impact. “I’m so proud to study in this university,” she says, noting the University of Adelaide’s historical significance and the fact that it celebrated its 150^th anniversary in 2024. Reflecting on the university’s slogan ‘Make history,’ Tharanga says, “It encourages me or motivates me to make history in my own journey too.” The university has multiple facilities to help her on that journey. Tharanga notes the many services available for her to enhance her skills. For example, after arriving in Australia she lacked confidence in her language skills, but points to the Conversation, Culture and Connect Club and the university writing centre as opportunities for her to improve her writing skills and communication skills. There is similar support for mathematical skills, and the university library is filled with books and prestigious journals from across the world. “Those things help me to do my assignments well and get very high grades for those academic activities,” Tharanga says.

With all this in mind, Tharanga has simple and to-the-point advice for anyone considering applying for an Australia Awards Scholarship. “Australia Awards is an invaluable opportunity to develop yourself and your country,” she says. “Think how you can contribute to the development of your country and blend it with your creativity. Tell the story to Australia Awards. They will take care of you during your journey.”