Australia Awards South and West Asia

Shahzad Ali Khan is studying a Master of Engineering (Water Resources Management) at the University of South Australia, with the support of an Australia Awards Scholarship. Building on his experience in the water sector in Pakistan, he is learning from Australia’s approach to shared challenges so that he can help meet his country’s development needs.

In the following video, Shahzad discusses his experiences as an Australia Awards scholar in Australia.

Shahzad has worked in Pakistan’s water resources sector for almost 15 years. This experience has allowed him to identify firsthand the problems and challenges facing the water sector in his home country. Looking abroad, he observed that Australia and Pakistan have very similar climatic conditions: both countries have low rainfall and large regions of arid land. “I noticed that Australia has done a lot in improving its water resources management,” he says. “Australia is following an integrated water resource management approach towards the multiple water sector challenges, like drought, like floods, like water scarcity—the same problems we are facing in our country.” This drew his attention and led him to apply for an Australia Awards Scholarship. With his Australian learning, he hopes, “I can do something better for my country using this technological advancement and the expertise Australia has gained in the water resource management sector.”

Shahzad began his master’s degree at the University of South Australia in January 2024. When he arrived in Adelaide, he quickly realised that it is “a very living city”, with “a lot of festivals and a lot of social activities and a lot of gatherings”. He says, “I am very much impressed by the festivals I have attended in Adelaide during the last six months,” which he has enjoyed attending with his fellow Australia Awards scholars.

Shahzad receiving his Scholarship certificate from the Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Mr Neil Hawkins, at the farewell reception for Scholarship recipients hosted by the High Commission prior to his departure for Australia.

However, Shahzad is quick to emphasise the main purpose of his time in Australia, saying, “My priority is academic activities.” This focus is partly due to the length of time since he had last studied at tertiary level. “Coming here, I started my academic career again after almost 15 years,” he says, “so I was very much worried about how I would cope with the academic activities.” Fortunately, his fears were immediately assuaged by the Introductory Academic Program arranged by Australia Awards, which he describes as “very vibrant and very active”. This academic ‘boot camp’, Shahzad says, “helped me a lot to understand the academic culture here and how to perform various academic activities: class activities, assignments and all these things”. He adds, “When I started the regular classes, that Introductory Academic Program helped me a lot.” In contrast to his initial fears, “I was able to cope with all such academic challenges,” he says.

Nonetheless, he describes his course as having “a very rigorous schedule because of my subjects” and reiterates that “my main aim is to pursue my studies”. On that front, Shahzad has been impressed by the Australian education system, which he calls “very modern”. He says, “The academic program here [is] based on interactive participation, having group discussions, and having a lot of assignments and group activities, even some real-time projects.” In addition, he says, the software used in his subjects has “helped me a lot to understand the modern technological advancements in various fields of water resources management”.

Shahzad is full of praise for his university experience. “Due to this academic culture, we have become problem solvers and capable of applying logical, critical and creative thinking to real-time water resources issues,” he says. “It’s a brilliant studying environment here.”

Shahzad (far right) with other attendees at the Australia Awards End of Year Celebration in Adelaide in November 2024.

He also speaks highly about the broader benefits of his Australia Awards Scholarship: “I found it very, very helpful in development of my professional and communication skills,” and adds, “I got the opportunity to network with international students and [Australia Awards] alumni.” These international connections have benefited him both personally and professionally. “I got a lot of experience of diverse cultures and international friends,” he says, “and from that experience you gain a lot about their countries, about their cultures and about the trends that are followed there in your field of interest.”

Given this testimony, it should be no surprise that Shahzad enthusiastically recommends the Australia Awards Scholarship to anyone who may be thinking of applying. “It’s a golden opportunity for them to improve their communication skills, their technological skills, their academic and professional knowledge,” he says.