Sydney students awarded prestigious overseas scholarship
From left: Short Term Mobility Coordinator Jess Simpson, Ella Whan, Katelyn Williams, Lucas Parker and Head of Student Mobility and Exchange Amy Ryan at the Scholars Ceremony in Canberra
The NCP Scholarship program stems from an initiative of the Australian Government, which aims to lift knowledge of the Indo-Pacific by supporting Australian undergraduates to study and undertake internships in the region.
The program includes internships or mentorships, as well as practicums and research. It has a strong alumni community that allows past scholars to share their experiences and continue to maintain and develop links with the Indo-Pacific.
Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Mark Scott AO, said the program offered students many golden opportunities.
"The New Colombo Plan gives students invaluable experience, by helping to develop their leadership skills within the Indo-Pacific region and exposing them to the diverse cultures in the region,” Professor Scott said.
"The program will strengthen the University’s ties on a global scale, enhance the students’ time at university through internships and mentorships and connect them to our alumni community.”
NCP scholarship recipient Lucas Parker (Bachelor of Engineering Honours and Bachelor of Commerce) will travel to Hong Kong, where he will focus on robotics and engineering. Lucas hopes to develop “Australia's ties with Hong Kong and the Indo-Pacific through growing people-to-people relationships and institutional connections.”
The program will strengthen the University’s ties on a global scale.
Undergraduate arts and law student Ella Whan will travel to Malaysia. "I am excited for the opportunity to truly immerse myself in a new social and cultural context, fostering genuine connections with the local community and embracing their differing way of living," Ella said. "I hope to gain an understanding of the political context in Malaysia and how this has been shaped by the different cultures and religions within the region."
The University of Sydney New Colombo Plan 2024 scholarship recipients
- Benjamin Moore - Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Advanced Studies
Benjamin will study at the University of New Caledonia and hopes to develop his commerce knowledge with a New Caledonian finance firm. - Ella Whan - Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws
Ella will study at the University of Malaya with a focus on environmental issues and foreign affairs in the political sphere. She plans to undertake language training during her stay. - Katelyn Williams - Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Politics And International Relations (Program), Sociology (Major)
Katelyn will travel to Indonesia and study at Universitas Gadjah Mada with a focus on Indonesian public health. She hopes to further strengthen her fluency in Indonesian. - Lucas Parker - Bachelor of Engineering Honours and Bachelor of Commerce
Lucas will study at the University of Hong Kong, where he hopes to undertake an internship in engineering, robotics and mechatronics. He plans to study Cantonese during his stay.
Another University of Sydney student will this year serve as an ambassador for the New Colombo Plan. Emer Spora was granted the NCP Mobility grant in 2023 and studied in Jakarta at the Institute of Sustainability and Agility. Emer has a strong drive to empower regional and rural students to explore a range of opportunities, including the NCP, and will be assisting the University in promoting the plan this year.
Global experience and student mobility are a part of the University of Sydney’s undergraduate experience. Students can add an international dimension to their degree through semester exchanges, short-term programs, global internships and fieldwork, with scholarships available to support their studies.