Policy analyst, health official receive prestigious award

A public health specialist combatting gender-based violence and a high-achieving research analyst focused on innovative public policy are Papua New Guinea’s recipients of the prestigious Allison Sudradjat Prize for 2020.
Olivia Ephraim, 31, and Meson Tumsok, 29, received the Prize during a reception on Dec 19 hosted by the Australian High Commissioner, Bruce Davis.
The Prize is presented in memory of Allison Sudradjat, who championed education for development as a senior Australian official in PNG and Indonesia, who passed away in 2007.
“Every year six outstanding Australia Awards Scholarship awardees – two from Papua New Guinea and four from Indonesia – receive the Allison Sudradjat Prize, recognising Allison’s outstanding contribution as a senior Australian official in both countries,” Davis said.
“I am delighted that, once again, the Prize is being awarded to two Australia Awards scholars from Papua New Guinea who have demonstrated academic achievement, leadership skills and a determination to contribute to their country’s sustainable development.”
Ephraim, from Enga, provides specialised support to those who have experienced sexual and gender-based violence at Port Moresby General Hospital’s Family Support Centre.
She will commence a Master of Public Health at the University of Melbourne as an Australia Awards scholar in 2020.
She plans to use the Allison Sudradjat Prize to undertake further specialised training, including case database management.
Tumsok, from Western, will also study at the University of Melbourne next year as an Australia Awards scholar, undertaking a Master of Applied Econometrics.
Tumsok is a research analyst at the Bank of PNG. He intends to use the Allison Sudradjat Prize to support his research into national debt and commodity prices and implications for PNG’s economy.
The Allison Sudradjat Prize includes up to AUD$25,000 (about K55,321.97) to undertake additional activities related to recipients’ course of study.
“The Allison Sudradjat Prize will help me to access specialised training and get more exposure on how best to improve the current gender-based violence situation that is being faced in PNG,” Ephraim said.
Tumsok said the prize would build his capacity to do research.