Five Geelong students will take their next steps toward becoming global citizens in 2026 thanks to federal scholarships.
The Deakin University students were among the 308 undergraduates who received the prestigious New Colombo Plan (NCP) scholarships, announced by Penny Wong last week in Canberra.
The scholarships, designed to give outstanding students the opportunity to broaden their educational experience and build ties across the Indo-Pacific region.
To that end, 23 Deakin students from across the country will receive $107,000 for travel and living expenses to study abroad, learn new languages and build expertise in their chosen fields.
Scholarship recipient Lucy Harrop is studying a Bachelor of International Studies, majoring in Indonesian Language.
She said she was looking forward to studying at a university in Indonesia and immersing herself in the culture she was learning about.
“I was so excited when I found out I’d been successful because I felt like everything that I had written down and planned for months could come to life,” Ms Harrop said.
“I’m excited to see how university life compares to Australia, but most importantly, I’m just excited to live the university experience overseas.”
Dr David Halliwell, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Partnerships, congratulated the students and said that NCP scholarships are an important opportunity to form meaningful and long-lasting relationships with the countries students are heading to.
‘The New Colombo Plan empowers our students to be global citizens for life, work and leadership and we thank the Australian Government for this significant support,’ Dr Halliwell said.
“The University looks forward to seeing the contributions these students will make both abroad and upon their return to Australia.”
