Dr Jeegajeeva Rao, a role model for academic aspirants:
SHAH ALAM: A Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) medical faculty lecturer, Dr Jeegajeeva Rao, created history by becoming the first Malaysian to receive the Australian Prime Minister’s scholarship award.
Dr Jeegajeeva, an obstetrician and gynaecologist, received the Prime Minister’s Australia Asia Endeavour Awards worth RM630,500 to pursue a doctorate in medicine.
UiTM vice-chancellor Datuk Prof Dr Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar said Dr Jeegajeeva, one of the university’s excellent service award recipients last year, had vast experience in his field in several countries including Malaysia, Britain, Indonesia and Australia.
“UiTM is proud of Dr Jeegajeeva’s achievement. He is one of 10 individuals in Asia chosen for the scholarship,” he said at the presentation of the scholarship here Wednesday.
Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia Penny Williams presented the award.
Dr Jeegajeeva described the award as “a dream come true.”
“I was pleasantly surprised upon receiving an e-mail from the Australian High Commission about my selection,” he said.
Dr Jeegajeeva has served at hospitals in Penang, Sungai Petani, Batu Pahat, Alor Setar and has been a Selayang Hospital specialist over the past three years.
He leaves for Australia on Sunday to pursue his study at the University of New South Wales, and will carry out research at the Royal Hospital for Women in Sydney. — Bernama