AIEC Endeavour scholar goes to work at High Commission

Home

January 2016

Ms Jennifer Star, Founding Director of Australian Education NGO, Tara.Ed shares her experience interning at the Australian High Commission, Delhi:

Every weekday morning for the past six weeks, I have woken up, eaten an Indian rice dish called ‘Poha’ for breakfast; jumped in an auto-rickshaw and travelled to the Australian High Commission for my Endeavour Internship with the Australia India Education Council. Once through the High Commission gates, India is left behind. Australian accents are rife; a television mounted on the wall broadcasts Australian television, the café in the basement serves flat white coffee and the clock in the foyer shows Canberra time. Even the electrical sockets to charge my phone are Australian!

I am currently in my third year of a PhD at Deakin University. My research looks at how to best develop Asia Literacy and Intercultural Understanding in Australian pre-service teachers, with a specific focus on India. This research interest came about as a result of my work with an Australian Education NGO called Tara.Ed that provides opportunities for Australian pre-service teachers to undertake a short term practical experience in rural India. Many of the Australian pre-service teachers who participated in the cross-cultural exchange described their time teaching in India as ‘life changing’. My thesis essentially explores the ‘life changing’ elements of the experience determines if an overseas experience has any impact on a future teacher’s professional practice.

My internship at the AIEC is directly related to my research interests, as I am working in the area of Schools Engagement on projects such as the Australia-India BRIDGE School Partnership program and the School Leaders Professional Development exchange program. Alongside this, I am also involved in a number of research projects and the establishment of the Joint Working Group for Schools. Every day at the office is different; in the past six weeks, I have undertaken school visits, participated in meetings with Indian Government officials, completed research to identify potential points of collaboration and engaged with Australian educators who are visiting India for one of the AIEC exchange programs.

Coming from an NGO and research background, where impact is at a grass roots level or confined to the theoretical realm, my Endeavour Postgraduate internship at the Australian High Commission has given me unique insight into how policy – that could potentially impact millions of people – is developed and implemented. I’ve also learned about stakeholder management, the joys and challenges of working at a Government-to-Government level and the nuances required to successfully influence and implement policies across borders and cultures. My Endeavour experience has had, and will continue to have, a huge impact on my personal and professional development. The work I am doing at the AIEC has both drawn on and extended my current skill set. Ultimately, it has given me the opportunity to live my research, rather than just observe it from afar.