2019 New Colombo Plan Mobility Grants

Todaywe announce the successful applicants for the 2019 New Colombo Plan MobilityProgram, supporting the Australian Government's commitment to deepen two-wayengagement between Australia and the Indo-Pacific.

In2019, the New Colombo Plan will support 11,817 students to take part in 792mobility projects in 36 host locations in the Indo-Pacific. This is consistentwith the 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper commitment to support at least10,000 New Colombo Plan students a year.

Thisround represents the broad diversity of Australia with applicants chosen from40 universities across the country, including rural and regional areas.Outcomes from this round also provide opportunities for Indigenous students toundertake mobility projects in the region.

Thereturning students from the 2019 mobility projects will increase the NewColombo Plan alumni to more than 40,000 young Australians since 2014 withexperience of living, studying and undertaking work experience in theIndo-Pacific.

TheNew Colombo Plan is contributing to a generation of regional leaders with adeep understanding of, and enduring networks across, the Indo-Pacific.

Ourcommitment to strengthening relationships with the Pacific is supported by thefirst ever mobility projects in Niue and French Polynesia. The number ofstudents taking part in Pacific-bound mobility projects will also rise by 11percent, including a three-fold increase in student grants for projects inPapua New Guinea.

Onein five students undertaking semester-length New Colombo Plan mobility projectswill receive language-training grants – a new initiative announced earlier thisyear.