150 Australian undergraduates will be awarded New Colombo Plan (NCP) Scholarships at an awards ceremony at Parliament House in Canberra on 5 December 2023.
The NCP aims to lift knowledge of the Indo-Pacific in Australia, increase Australia’s Asia literacy and help embed First Nations diplomacy in Australia’s engagement with the region.
NCP Scholarships support Australian undergraduates to study, intern and undertake language training for up to 19 months across 40 eligible Indo Pacific host locations.
In 2024, the NCP will celebrate its 10th anniversary and the achievements of the 45,000 alumni who have completed scholarships and mobility projects since the program commenced in 2014.
A record sixteen awardees (more than ten per cent) from this year’s scholarship cohort are First Nations Australians. The connections and understanding these scholars will build during their program will enrich the engagement between Australia and our international partners and help shape the way our region sees Australia.
NCP Fellows have an extra leadership role in promoting the program and its objectives. This year, the NCP will award Fellowships in two additional categories. Pacific and Climate Change Fellows will be announced alongside the First Nations Fellow, ASEAN Fellow, and Fellows for each of the 26 locations where this year’s cohort will undertake their scholarships.
