Flying high on Aviation scholarship for women
As the recipient of the first International Aviation Women’s Association (IAWA) scholarship at Swinburne, international student Nicole Ng is heading to Lima, Peru this month for the association’s annual conference.
“I have been informed that I will be the only student from Australia attending the conference, where I'll be meeting delegates from other universities from various countries – which is really exciting,” Nicole says.
The Malaysian-born Aviation Management student says she was eager to come to Melbourne to study.
“I did a quick Google search of the top universities in Melbourne, saw Swinburne on the list, and went to the website to check out the courses offered,” she says.
Nicole was intrigued by the Bachelor of Aviation Management course.
“I had never heard of it before, so I was really interested in finding out what it was. Needless to say, after the first semester I was drawn in. I have really grown to enjoy what the course offers and am quite fascinated by the aviation industry as a whole.
"The course is very interesting, with units from a variety of aviation sectors that we can choose from Air Traffic Management, Flight Operations, Aircraft Maintenance, etc. The lecturers are highly knowledgeable, entertaining and engaging. Their real-world experience is especially enlightening and prepares us for the industry.”
Now in in the final semester of her course, Nicole says Swinburne is a great place to learn, and there is a lot of support for international students.
“I was pleasantly surprised that I wasn't as lonely as I thought I'd be. The people here are so friendly, there are lots of events, lots of things to see and do too. And, there are lots of communities for international students all around.”
IAWA scholarship
The IAWA global scholarship is focused on working towards a more inclusive industry, the continuous education and professional progress of the next generation of women in aviation.
Swinburne and gender equity
Swinburne was one of the first Australian universities to join the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) pilot to improve the promotion and retention of women and gender minorities in STEM.
The university has long been a champion of gender equity and for the past ten years has been recognised by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) as an Employer of Choice for Women.