La Trobe University has set a record for the second year with five students, including two from regional campuses, heading off on an overseas adventure after being awarded scholarships to work and study abroad under Australia’s New Colombo Plan.
The New Colombo Plan (NCP) aims to lift knowledge of the Indo-Pacific in Australia by supporting undergraduates to study and undertake internships across various locations in the region for a period between three and 19 months.
One third of students nominated by La Trobe University this year were awarded the scholarship from Bendigo, Albury-Wodonga and Bundoora campuses.
Harrison Rule, studying a Bachelor of Psychological Science at the Albury-Wodonga campus, will be heading to host university Amity, in India.
“The idea of immersing myself in a new culture, gaining new perspectives, learning a language and just overall growing as a person left me with an incredible feeling,” Harrison said.
“I knew that the experiences and skills I'd gain would shape me into a more creative, culturally competent and empathetic human and leader, no matter what occupation I entered in the future.”
Director of La Trobe Asia, Associate Professor Bec Strating, said this is an “outstanding result” for the students and the University.
“The highly competitive NCP program offers students a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to broaden their knowledge, experience and networks across Asia and the Pacific through living and studying abroad and learning a language,” Dr Strating said.
La Trobe students awarded the NCP:
- Charlotte Bradstreet, Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Global Studies student at the Bundoora campus, will be heading to India, at host university: OP Jindal.
- Harrison Rule, Bachelor of Psychological Science student at the Albury-Wodonga campus, will be heading to India, at host university: Amity.
- Zaakirah Ali, Bachelor of Commerce / Bachelor of Biomedicine student at the Bundoora campus, will be heading to the National University of Singapore.
- Ahmed Baroudi, Bachelor of Laws (Honours) student at the Bundoora campus, will be heading to Indonesia at host university: ACICIS.
- Elizabeth (Jane) Gration, Bachelor of Criminology / Bachelor of Psychological Science student at the Bendigo campus, will be heading to Indonesia to host university: ACICIS.
"I couldn’t be prouder of the bright, articulate and ambitious students who excelled through multiple rounds of the time consuming and incredibly competitive application process to make it to the podium,” Brett Smith, La Trobe Learning Abroad Advisor, said.
