Indian-origin talent took a front-row seat in this year’s Global Australian Award finalists list which received over 400 nominations.
The Global Australian Awards are offered every year by not-for-profit organisation Advance. Since its founding in 2002, this organisation has grown to serve members globally and provide valuable opportunities to Australian expats.
Johanna Pitman, CEO of Advance.org, said in a statement that celebrating the 2022 Global Australian Awards was an absolute thrill. She added:
“As the Global Australian Awards demonstrate, there are so many ways in which individuals connect Australia with the world – through their careers, education and/or migration – all resulting in a more globally engaged Australia.”
Now in their 11th year, these awards are given to Australians living and working overseas, Australians who have built their career overseas in the past, international alumni of Australian universities, and recent migrants to Australia.
Dr Sonu Bhaskar – Australian Global Talent Awardee
Dr Sonu Bhaskar, a medical entrepreneur and global health leader responsible for establishing the world’s first Blood Clot Biobank in Sydney, won the Australian Global Talent Award. He started his career in his home country of India, where he was inspired by his grandfather to work hard and overcome financial challenges to obtain a leading education. He remains inspired by the teachings of his late Grandfather who instilled in him the belief that no matter what your resources may be, you can always make a difference in the lives of others.
Dr Bhaskar is also the Founding Director and Chief Investigator at the NSW Brain Clot Bank and is counted amongst the world’s top specialists in the fields of stroke and cerebrovascular disorders. He is a two-time winner of the 2019 European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Investigator Award, the 2020 Rotary Vocational Excellence Award, and 2021 Paul Harris Fellow recognition
Anuradha Gupta – Asia Impact Awardee
Anuradha Gupta, who is Deputy CEO of Gavi (the Global Vaccine Alliance), has won the Asia Impact award. She is recognised global health leader whose work has saved the lives of millions of children in communities around the world. She led the push to identify ‘zero-dose’ children, aiming to ensure all children have access to critical immunisation and no one is left behind.
Ms Gupta completed a Master of Business Administration at the University of Wollongong. In 2015, Ms Gupta was named one of “300 Women Leaders in Global Health” by the Global Health Centre of the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies and in 2021, she received the University of Wollongong Alumni Award for Social Impact.
Dr Shafali Gupta – Australian Global Talent Finalist
Dr Shafali Gupta, who is Co-founder and Co-CEO of sustainable packaging startup Uuvipak, is a molecular biologist by training. Her goal is to replace 1 billion plastic products with their biodegradable, vegan, edible eco-packaging by the end of 2025.
Dr Gupta completed a Masters in Biotechnology in Mumbai and in 2015 received Ph.D. scholarship at the University of Queensland’s Institute of Molecular Biosciences. Her passion for the environment was the final motivation for her to take the leap and start her own venture.
Madhavi Shankar – Alumni Award Finalist
Tech entrepreneur Madhavi Shankar, who is co-founder and CEO of one of India’s fast-growing tech startup SpaceBasic, was this year’s Alumni Award Finalist. She came to Australia in 2012, after completing her Bachelor of Engineering at home in India. In Sydney, she completed to a Master of Engineering Management and a Master of Business Administration at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Her company SpaceBasic empowers colleges and universities drive student success with a connected campus experience.
In 2019, Ms Shankar was named as one of the Top 30 Women Transforming India by the Indian government and the United Nations. In 2020, she was recognised by Forbes in the 30 Under 30 list for Enterprise Technology in Asia. She attributes the learnings and experiences she had during her post-graduate studies and startup job in Australia with helping create the launchpad for her career as an entrepreneur, instilling in her a belief in her own potential to bring her big ideas to life.
These awards showcase the achievements of these inspiring global Australians who are innovating in their field and shaping the world. A statement by Advance.org notes:
“The addition of this Australian Global Talent Award in 2022 recognises that Australia’s pipeline of internationally-experienced talent includes many skilled migrants and “new Australians” working and building businesses in Australia.”
In 2022 awards, the achievements of migrants in the following future-facing sectors are being celebrated: Advanced manufacturing, Agrifood and agtech, Circular economy, Culture, tourism and leisure, Defence, Digitech, Education and research, Energy and renewables, Financial services and fintech, Health and life sciences, Infrastructure, Resources and critical minerals, Space, Transformative technologies and sciences including: biosciences, blockchain and digital ledger technologies, cybersciences, data services and digital technologies, materials sciences, nanotechnologies, quantum technologies and robotics.
