News
Professor Violeta Lopez was warmly acknowledged at the recent IIHS send-off ceremony
Professor Lopez Completes In-Country Phase at IIHS, Sri Lanka
After six months of dedicated service in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Professor Violeta Lopez has completed the in-country component of her 12-month assignment with the International Institute of Health Science (IIHS), Nursing. Professor Lopez has made a significant contribution to IIHS's mission of professionalising nursing and allied health education in Sri Lanka and the wider region.
Professor Lopez was recruited by Australian Academic Volunteers Abroad (AAVA) in collaboration with the Australian Volunteers Program. Her work at IIHS, which began remotely in November 2024, focused on key areas including fostering international research partnerships, internationalising curriculum design, and providing invaluable mentorship to early career staff. Her efforts have directly supported IIHS's commitment to improving the quality of the learning experience for its over 3,000 local and regional students, helping them access the global health and education workforce.
"I received a very warm send-off from my home away from home at IIHS," said Professor Lopez.
According to the Chair of AAVA, Professor Emeritus Graham Schaffer "The feedback from IIHS has been wonderful. The team immediately requested the hybrid phase of Violita's assignment be extended two months. She has made a big, positive impact in a short time."
IIHS, as Sri Lanka’s pioneer International University Learning Centre, has a long-standing history of preparing students for global health careers. Professor Lopez's contributions further strengthen this legacy, building academic capacity and enriching the international perspectives offered at the university. While her in-country phase has concluded, the impact of her work is set to resonate for years to come.
3 July 2025
From Left: Professor Violet Lopez, IIHS Board Member Dr.Kithsiri Edirisinghe, University Board Member, Charith Weerasinghe | AVP Country Program Manager - Sri Lanka
IIHS Nursing staff and students send-off Prof Lopez after six very busy months of her in-country assignment in Columbo.
Profesor Lopez on her last day in-country with the IIHS team. She will continue working with the team online for a few months.
From Left: Professor Derrick Armstrong, SINU Vice Chancellor Professor Transform Aqorau, and Professor Angela Hill.
SINU Welcomes Two Volunteer Professors
Professor Angela Hill and Professor Derrick Armstrong have arrived at Solomon Islands National University (SINU) in Honiara to undertake the in-person stage of their volunteer assignments! They were welcomed by Vice Chancellor Professor Transform Aqorau at the Kukum Campus.
SINU, established in 2013, plays a vital role in providing quality, affordable education for the Solomon Islands. Professors Hill and Armstrong are supporting the University to achieve its goals and ambitions through Australian Academic Volunteers Abroad (AAVA)in partnership with the Australian Volunteers Program.
Professor Hill is leading a comprehensive review of academic programs and policies, developing strategies for successful accreditation in her role focused on Quality Assurance and the Student Experience (a 17-month hybrid assignment).
Professor Armstrong is providing strategic counsel on SINU’s goals, governance, and decision-making as Executive Mentor and Strategic Advisor (a 12-month hybrid assignment).
April 10, 2025.
The Value of Partnerships
The Australian Volunteers Program hosted a special event at Fed Square in Naarm/Melbourne, bringing together around 30 Australian-based organisations, program alumni, and staff from across Asia, Africa, and the Pacific. The event highlighted the power of partnerships and provided an excellent opportunity for global connections.
Graham Schaffer, Chair of Australian Academic Volunteers Abroad, participated in a panel discussion alongside Rebecca Mitchell from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG), and program recruiters Karalaini Buiniu Kainoco and Tendina Kawage. The panel, facilitated by Lucinda Peterson from AVP, shared insights on sustaining authentic partnerships and emphasised the importance of locally led and driven, sustainable collaborations. They also discussed the future of partnerships, focusing on increasing in-person communication to strengthen connections.
Graham Schaffer, AAVA Chair said it was a pleasure to be part of the panel, “thanks AVP for the invitation to participate. It was a great opportunity to meet other Australian Partner Organisations and many Australian Volunteers Program staff from around the world.”
Photography credit: Australian Volunteers Program
March 20 2025.
Graham Schaffer, Chair of Australian Academic Volunteers Abroad, participated in a panel discussion alongside Rebecca Mitchell from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG), and Australian Volunteer program recruiters Karalaini Buiniu Kainoco (Fiji) and Tendina Kawage (PNG).
.jpg)
From Left: AVP program recruiter Fiji (Suva) Karalaini Buiniu Kainoco, AAVA's Graham Schaffer, AVP Program recruiter PNG, Tendina Kawage and Rebecca Mitchell from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG).
Volunteer Opportunities for Civil Engineering, Computing and Psychology Professors in Fiji
AAVA is recruiting three Professors to volunteer at the University of the South Pacific in 2025, in hybrid roles both in-country and online.
The assignments in brief:
-
Civil Engineering - Develop a roadmap for the civil engineering discipline and determine the pathway to accreditation for the civil engineering program.
-
Computing - Support curriculum development in cybersecurity and/or data science.
-
Psychology - Develop a framework and business case for a program of courses that support the professional development needs of local mental health practitioners.
Requirements
-
Extensive experience at a senior academic level in civil engineering, computing or psychology.
-
Experience in mentoring and supporting the careers of others.
-
Program volunteers must be Australian citizens, or holders of a Permanent Residency Visa of Australia, or New Zealand residents in Australia with a Special Category Visa.
Application Process
Submit an expression of interest with a brief CV to graham.schaffer@academicvolunteers.org.au. Further information at https://www.academicvolunteers.org.au.
See for more information
Civil Engineering Professor at USP
23 August, 2024.
Submission to the JSCFADT Inquiry into Australia's response to the priorities of the Pacific Island countries and the Pacific region
4 July, 2024
On Tuesday 11 June, AAVA made a submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Inquiry into Australia's response to the priorities of Pacific Island countries and the Pacific Region.
AAVA's submission was developed in consultation with our university partners in the region.
AAVA recommended... "The Australian government should support direct, targeted and sustained academic volunteering by senior scholars to provide strategic academic leadership at universities in the Pacific Island countries, not to replace the need for the universities to recruit senior scholars, but to support the recruitment process and empower junior staff while doing so. "
AAVA's submission can be reviewed here.