Our students' scholarship successes

“Australia’s future lies with Asia, and for our students to capitalise on that they need to understand our closest neighbours. This is why the New Colombo Plan and Schwarzman Scholarships are so important, they give our students and graduates invaluable experience in the region,” Vice-Principal (External Relations) Tania Rhodes-Taylor said.

“At the University of Sydney, we have made international experience for our students a priority and we now have the largest student mobility program of any university in Australia. To ensure as many students as possible get experience overseas, we will aim to provide mobility scholarships for at least half our student mobility opportunities; through government, industry and university funding as well as philanthropy.”

New Colombo Plan Scholars

Three students from the University were selected as 2019 New Colombo Plan Scholars, to undertake a semester and an internship in the Indo-Pacific region.

The scholarship recipients are part of 125 of Australia’s best and brightest undergraduates from Australian universities to receive the highly prestigious scholarships, giving them the opportunity to live, study and work in the Indo-Pacific region for up to 12 months in 2019.

The University of Sydney New Colombo Plan scholarship recipients are:

• Nishtha Chadha (Bachelor of International and Global Studies) will study political science at the University of Colombo and undertake an internship with an organisation focused on development in the region.
• Jennifer Horton (Bachelor of Science (Advanced) / Bachelor of Arts) will study international relations and political science at Kyoto University and undertake an internship with the Australian Embassy in Tokyo or a branch of the United Nations based in Japan.
• Ajay Sivanathan (Bachelor of Economics / Bachelor of Laws) will study international law at the National University of Singapore, undertake an internship at an international law firm based there and engage in a mentorship with Professor Lawrence Boo Geok Seng from the International Commercial Arbitration.

“With the increasing movement of economic and political power to the Indo-Pacific, I saw Singapore as the ideal host location to experience that change first-hand. Singapore has an impressive reputation for professional services, and I felt it would also allow for the development of diverse connections in the Indo-Pacific,” Ajay said.

Schwarzman Scholars

Three University of Sydney graduates have been chosen as Schwarzman Scholars for the Class of 2020.

Schwarzman Scholars was inspired by the Rhodes Scholarship and is designed to prepare future global leaders to meet the geopolitical challenges of the 21st century. Located at Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University in Beijing, students will receive a Master’s degree in Global Affairs, designed by academic leaders from around the world.

In addition to a core curriculum, scholars will pursue an individually designed degree, drawing from courses in public policy, international studies, and economics and business, as well as from other departments at Tsinghua University.

Scholars will gain exposure to China and a broad network of important relationships through unique internships, mentorship opportunities, high-profile speakers and opportunities to travel throughout China.

The Class of 2020 is comprised of students from 38 countries and 119 universities and will enrol in August 2019. Three University of Sydney graduates were part of 147 Scholars to be selected from over 2,800 applicants. 

• Jacinta Keast (Bachelor of Commerce and Arts '18) 
• Elizabeth Richardson (Bachelor of Science and Arts '16)
• Zachary Tan (Masters of Medicine - Ophthalmic Science '18)

"China is in the midst of enormous healthcare reform, and Tsinghua at the forefront of emerging digital health technologies including AI. The Schwarzman Scholars program provides me with an opportunity to see these rapid changes firsthand, and to bring back these health policy and technological innovations for our patients," Zachary said.