Annie Santhana

Upon completing a Graduate Diploma at Monash, Annie secured a highly prestigious position at the Government of Victoria, strengthening economic ties between India and Australia.

As the Manager for Education Services (India) for the State Government of Victoria, based in Bangalore, Annie Santhana is part of a team that encourages millions of dollars in trade and investment between the two countries each year.

Annie says her job is highly rewarding. It is primarily business development, identifying opportunities and linking education providers in Victoria, Australia with large Indian companies.

She secured the prestigious job after her study at Monash University.

Annie completed a Graduate Diploma in Business Systems in 2003 and she is currently studying a Masters in Business Systems. She said her careers counsellor at the time gave her several options about where to study, but after doing her own homework and talking to several Monash graduates, the decision was easy.

"I was influenced by subject choice, talking to Monash graduates and the fact study was in Melbourne," she recalls, "At that time I was influenced by the fact Monash has a good standing in Australia and people knew about it.

"That was an advantage, because Monash University is quite well known among employers in India as well. No one is going to ask 'where is this university?' they already know."

Monash University has campuses in Australia, Asia and South Africa, 56,000 students, 7000 staff and an enviable reputation for teaching and research excellence forged in just fifty years.

Planning and construction is underway for the creation of a "bricks and mortar" Monash presence in India. The University has partnered with the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay to create a research academy that caters to the needs of postgraduate study in India.

Annie says she has no regrets about her decision to study at Monash in Australia.

"It has been a life changing experience living in Melbourne, studying at Monash and what it has to offer," she says.

"It made me a completely different person. Coming to Melbourne changed my perspective; I was meeting people from various parts of the world. It just broadens your horizons.

"In Australia there is more of a focus on problem solving and logical thinking. I was more used to rote learning. The system is different and I found that quite empowering, because no one is telling you how to do the project, they are helping you think as to how you would do the project.

"At Monash you are asked to think, to question and come back whether you thought it right, so all of those things made a big difference to me."

Annie says she felt welcome and safe in Melbourne, both within the University and the broader community.

"No one is actually questioning you just because you are Indian, you are Chinese, you are Malaysian. You feel at home, you just feel you are part of this one country which is so multicultural and everybody seems to be accepting and tolerant of each other. That in itself is just welcoming to people," she says.

"Also the diaspora brings along with it the food, the fact you can get a lot of Indian groceries and everything and it is so accessible."

And her advice to potential students from India ...

Go for it. You will enjoy your time at the university, I did.

Find out more about studying at Monash University.