New funding will see University of Newcastle students study across Indo-Pacific region

Friday, 18 October 2019

More than 400 students from the University of Newcastle will have the opportunity to work on projects across the Indo-Pacific region, thanks to the latest funding announced under the Australian Government’s New Colombo Plan.

Professor Kevin Hall
Professor Kevin Hall, Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President Global Engagement and Partnerships

The funding will see University students immerse themselves in projects including providing healthcare services for children with disabilities in Vietnam, legal education in China and teaching placements in the Cook Islands.

The projects are designed to enhance students’ skills in real-life situations, build international relationships and develop professional networks. The projects also aim to help people in the hosting countries.

Administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the New Colombo Plan has been running since 2014 and aims to improve knowledge of the Indo-Pacific region by supporting Australian undergraduates to study and undertake international internships.

The University of Newcastle has been awarded $1,803,560 in new funding under the government’s 2020 New Colombo Plan Mobility Program, and another $79,200 on a consortium project led by Queensland University of Technology.

The 2020 funding will enable 440 of the University’s students to participate in 16 projects across 12 Indo-Pacific countries, between 2020 and 2023.

Successful students will study and undertake internships in Cambodia, China, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Samoa, South Korea and Vietnam.

Projects being funded include $26,400 for healthcare services for children with disabilities in Vietnam; $33,000 for clinical legal education in China; and $26,400 for a special education teaching placement in the Cook Islands, among others.

Six mobility projects delivered by the University of Newcastle were awarded funding for three years in the 2020 round. This is in addition to the $1,150,600 funding awarded for 16 ongoing multi-year mobility projects that will take place in 2020.

The University’s Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President Global Engagement and Partnerships, Professor Kevin Hall, said this experience would help foster the next generation of leaders.

“It’s exciting to be able to offer our students the opportunity to work on major projects around the world that can make a lasting impact in each country,” Professor Hall said.

“By immersing themselves in real-world projects for a significant amount of time, our students will be able to form life-long connections and build on their professional experience internationally.”


Related news