New Colombo Plan to Build Australia-Indonesia Linkages

Australia’s Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Brett Mason, arrived in Jakarta today on a visit focusing on the New Colombo Plan.

The New Colombo Plan is a signature policy initiative of the Australian Government that is designed to increase the number of Australian undergraduate students studying in the Indo-Pacific region.

The pilot phase of the program, which will operate in Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan, was launched last December by Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop. From 2015, the New Colombo Plan will be rolled out more broadly across the Indo-Pacific region.

“The New Colombo Plan will not only provide transformative learning experiences for Australian students but will also transform Australia's engagement in our region,” Senator Mason said.

“Australia has long been a popular destination of study for Indonesian students and this has provided thousands of Indonesian students with the opportunity to learn about Australia and its people.

“The New Colombo Plan will ensure that this is reciprocated by giving increasing numbers of Australian students the opportunity to learn more about Indonesia.

“The experiences that Australian students enjoy as part of the New Colombo Plan will also help to build stronger people-to-people, business and university linkages, as well as closer country-to-country relations, between Australia and Indonesia,” Senator Mason said.

While in Jakarta, Senator Mason will also meet with recipients of the Elizabeth O’Neill Journalism Awards, Fitria Sofyani, Associate Features Editor of Marie Claire Indonesia, and Bernard Lane, Deputy Higher Education Editor of The Australian newspaper.

The awards are given in memory of Liz O'Neill, who worked tirelessly to foster mutual understanding and closer relations between Indonesia and Australia through the media. Liz was the Australian Embassy’s Public Affairs Counsellor in Jakarta and tragically lost her life alongside 21 others in the Yogyakarta air crash in 2007.

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