National Assembly of Pakistan offers internship to REDI PhD student

Deakin University School of Education doctoral fellow Dr Mehr Mohsin Raza has secured an internship with the National Assembly of Pakistan as part of a Deakin International Career Development Placement supported by the Victorian Government’s International Education Resilience Fund (IERF). Dr Raza secured $15,000 to carry out the placement. His research will examine governance issues and challenges faced by universities in Pakistan.

REDI member, Associate Professor Radhika Gorur, who supervises Dr Raza’s PhD at Deakin University, said the placement was a great opportunity for Dr Raza to learn firsthand about how higher education policy is made. She added the experience would be enormously useful for his PhD research.

Pakistan’s National Assembly has placed Dr Raza with its Standing Committee for Higher Education, Professional Training, National Heritage and Culture. Ch. Muhammad Hamid Hameed, who is also Parliamentary Secretary for Energy and a member of the Standing Committee, said Deakin’s efforts to support young researchers in gaining industry exposure were commendable. Such initiatives helped to develop graduates’ skills, which in turn benefited the institutions that hosted them, he said.

“The opportunity of international placements by Deakin University is a wonderful initiative. I am thankful to Deakin’s Graduate Research Academy, my research supervisors, and the National Assembly for their support,” Dr Raza said.