A SENIOR lecturer at the University of the South Pacific has become the first Fijian to be awarded the Greg Taylor Scholarship at the Australian National University.

Dr Neelesh Gounder is the first from Fiji to have received a Greg Taylor Scholarship to undertake research at the ANU’s Crawford School.

All previous recipients have been from Papua New Guinea.

The three-year scholarship provides an opportunity for research work on the development policy centre on topics relating to economic development of PNG and the Pacific.

Dr Gounder, from the School of Economics, says the scholarship requires research to be in close collaboration with the researchers from the Development Policy Centre.

The research will analyse the effect of migration from Pacific Island Countries (PICs) to Australia on merchandise exports to Australia and Australian outbound tourism to PICs.

“The emphasis is on the role played by migration from PICs to Australia and its impact on exports of merchandise goods and tourism from Australia,” Dr Gounder explained.

He added that this opportunity would enhance USP and ANU to collaborate providing an excellent means of bringing together scholars who may work on a parallel field to PICs, but are unable to collaborate and share ideas because of working in different institutions.

He will have the opportunity to build research networks for future research collaboration with other researchers working on PICs from Crawford School at ANU.

“There will be opportunity to share and access techniques and skills available at ANU,” he said.

In 2012, Dr Gounder received the prestigious Australian Prime Minister’s Pacific-Australia (PMPA) award for his sustained academic achievement and contribution to university activities in Australia.

Dr Gounder’s scholarship was possible through a generous anonymous donation.

The donor will be made known in the honour of Greg Taylor, whose former positions include Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund for both Australia and PNG, secretary of various Australian Government departments, adviser to the PNG treasury secretary, chairman of the PNG superannuation task force, and director of PNG’s largest superannuation fund.

The donation will cover Dr Gounder’s travel, living costs, and a modest honorarium.