New Colombo Plan alumni ambassadors program

Today I launch the New Colombo Plan alumni ambassadors program and announce 39 students have been selected as Ambassadors.

The Program will support one New Colombo Plan alumnus from each Australian university to promote the value of engaging with the Indo-Pacific region on campuses and communities across Australia.

Alumni ambassadors have been selected to reflect the diversity of students participating in the New Colombo Plan and the depth and breadth of study and internship opportunities available in the Indo-Pacific.

The inaugural Indigenous alumni ambassador, Ms Jasmin Hammond, will play a national role to support the participation of Indigenous students in the New Colombo Plan.

The Program will operate as a pilot in 2017-18, providing an opportunity to test its design and operation, engagement with universities and business partners, and the training and resources provided to alumni.

There are already more than 9,000 New Colombo Plan alumni and the cohort will grow by around 10,000 a year. This diverse group of Australians with strong professional and personal networks across the region will be a driving force in our future prosperity.

The New Colombo Plan is a signature initiative of the Government to lift knowledge of the Indo-Pacific by supporting a new generation of Australians to engage with our region. By the end of 2018, the New Colombo Plan will have supported more than 31,000 undergraduate students to live, study and undertake internships in the Indo-Pacific.