Australian Embassy
Indonesia

Australia Announces New Scholarship to Honour Memory of Frans Seda

Media Release

7 January 2011

Australia Announces New Scholarship to Honour Memory of Frans Seda

Australia’s Ambassador to Indonesia Greg Moriarty welcomed the launch of the Northern Territory Chief Minister’s Frans Seda English Language Scholarship program in Darwin last month.

“This scholarship honours the great memory of Frans Seda who played an important role in building relations between Australia and Indonesia,” the Ambassador said.

“Frans Seda was a man of principle who worked tirelessly to further promote the strong links between the two countries through political, trade, transport, educational, cultural and sporting ties,” said Moriarty.

Mr Seda was a former Indonesian Government Minister, an adviser to three Indonesian presidents, and was awarded an honorary Member of the Order of Australia for his work strengthening bilateral trade links.

The scholarship in Mr Seda’s name is sponsored by the Northern Territory’s Chief Minister and Charles Darwin University and will be awarded each year to three Indonesian students at Charles Darwin University to improve their fluency in English, and to three Northern Territory students to learn Indonesian.

The scholarship worth AUD 60,000, or approximately Rp 534 million over three years, will cover tuition fees for up to 10 weeks of intensive English language training at the university and assist with the study and learning of Indonesian abroad for Australian students based in the Northern Territory.

The new scholarship has the potential to expand the Northern Territory’s cultural and educational horizons into Asia and is a mark of respect for Mr Seda and his work in building bilateral relations.

Media Enquiries:
Jenny Dee, Counsellor (Public Affairs) tel. (021) 2550 5290 mob. 0811 187 3175