Twenty-three students from around the world have enjoyed ‘Summer Down Under’ (online), completing research projects under the guidance of leading UWA academics.
The Summer Down Under Research Internship is an eight-week intensive research training program. It provides an opportunity for high-performing international students considering a UWA postgraduate degree to get an 'insider's look’ at the University's research specialities, meet and work with a potential future supervisor and experience the richness of Australian culture.
Nadhiva Rachmatania, a veterinary science student from Universitas Airlangga in Indonesia, won the People’s Choice Award in the program’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. Enrolling in the program on the recommendation of her lecturer, she researched the effects of clover on the reproductive health of sheep, under the guidance of UWA’s Professor Graeme Martin.
“I found this program to be interesting and very helpful because at the same time I was also doing research at my university,” she said.
“What I enjoyed the most was doing the 3MT presentation. It was my very first time giving such a presentation. It was hard to construct confusing research into a simple script but delivering it was enjoyable because the material was not as confusing as I’d previously found it.”
Nadhiva has recommended the program to other students at her university, and says it helped her develop research skills that will benefit her into the future.
"I think UWA is a great place to study," she said.
After getting an inside look, I saw UWA provides a lot of facilities to engage students to learn and conduct credible works.
The multicultural environment in Australia also supports international students to understand different perspectives that they may not get in their country.
Nadhiva Rachmatania
In a virtual graduation ceremony on 28 August, Vice-Chancellor Professor Amit Chakma congratulated the students on their achievements.
“The Summer Down Under Research Internship is the kind of program that truly delights me,” Professor Chakma said.
“It has three vital ingredients: research; the international co-operation and collaboration that facilitates the creation of new knowledge and teaches us so much about being good citizens of both our own nations and the world; and the combining of learning and practical work.”