Grace So’on is a recipient of the Australia Awards in 2011 (previously called Australian Development Scholarships). She completed her postgraduate programme in 2011 and was awarded a Masters’Degree in Public Policy Management from Monash University. Grace also holds a Bachelor of Social Science Degree from the University of PNG.
Prior to taking up studies at Monash University, Grace was employed by the Prime Minister’s Department. She has solid experience in working in a key department which deals with high level Public Policy issues.
“I had only one purpose, and that was to commit to my study challenges and that’s exactly what I did. The advanced skills and knowledge I acquired will enable me to develop a comprehensive understanding of public policy at the national level and be able to communicate and translate these policies effectively”, says Grace.
She hopes that new knowledge that she acquired will enable her to articulate policy issues and provide professional advice to the National Executive Council secretariat.
The comfort of concentrating on her studies was influenced by the certainty to return to her former employment. For Grace, the study opportunity provided under the Australian Awards was rewarding in itself because GoPNG would have difficulty making available the amount of money covered under the Scholarship program.
Grace is aware of some challenges in the policy management area and hopes that she will be given the opportunity to complete new initiatives that she worked on prior to taking up her study.
