Media Release
6 February 2024
This year the New Colombo Plan celebrates 10 years of supporting Australian students to build connections and understanding between Australia and Indonesia.
The New Colombo Plan supports Australian undergraduates to study and undertake internships in the Indo-Pacific region, to build their knowledge and cross-cultural awareness of different countries across the region.
Indonesia continues to be one of the most popular destinations for New Colombo Plan students, with over 12,000 having studied and undertaken work-experience across the archipelago.
“Today, we celebrate a decade of the New Colombo Plan. This program not only provides a transformative opportunity for Australian students to develop their intercultural skills, it also allows the Indonesian students they engage with to learn about Australia, and our cultural diversity,” said Australian Deputy Ambassador to Indonesia Steve Scott.
Thousands of Australian New Colombo Plan alumni with Indonesian experience and language skills have now joined the network of close people-to-people links that underpin the Australia-Indonesia relationship.
In addition to building personal connections, the New Colombo Plan also supports relationships between Australian and Indonesian universities, institutions and businesses, who benefit from the program.
“I want to thank all of our New Colombo Plan partners for making the program a success over the last decade, including universities, NGOs, and private sector partners in Indonesia”, said Deputy Ambassador Scott.
“Australia and Indonesia share a region, and we share a future. Your contribution has been significant in equipping the next generation of Australian leaders with the skills and cross-cultural awareness they require to help our two countries continue to shape a stable and prosperous region.”
The New Colombo Plan is a signature initiative of the Australian Government. Since its inception in 2014, the program has awarded over 70,000 scholarships and mobility grants to Australian undergraduate students.
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