Fifteen students from the University of Melbourne have been named as New Colombo Plan Scholars for 2025, marking a record number from the University to receive the scholarship since the program began in 2014.
The New Colombo Plan (NCP) Scholarships program is an Australian Government initiative aiming to increase knowledge of the Indo-Pacific, by supporting Australian undergraduates to engage in the region. The awarded scholars will spend up to a year at their host institution in 2025, with all of the University's undergraduate faculties represented in this year's cohort.
"I have always had a fascination for island nations, so I am excited to immerse myself in the culture of Fiji and create something tangible with the community," said University of Melbourne 2025 NCP Scholar, Tiaré Murphy.
"This program offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said fellow 2025 Scholar Amanda Chao.
The full list of University of Melbourne New Colombo Scholars for 2025 are:
- Lanna Shaw, Bachelor of Design student who will attend Kyoto University in Japan.
- Hanyang Ma, Bachelor of Science student who will attend National University of Singapore in Singapore.
- Avikgna Linganathan, Bachelor of Science student who will attend the University of Hong Kong in Hong Kong.
- Amanda Chao, Bachelor of Science student who will attend Osaka University in Japan.
- Dorothy Hou, Bachelor of Arts/Diploma of Languages student who will attend University of Tokyo in Japan.
- Bo Hay Hayley Cheung, Bachelor of Arts student who will attend Singapore Management University in Singapore.
- Tiffany Huang, Bachelor of Commerce student who will attend Peking University in China.
- Zhixuan Zhang, Bachelor of Commerce/Diploma of Mathematic Sciences student who will attend Fudan University.
- Benedict Xu-Holland, Bachelor of Arts student who will attend both Peking University and Tsinghua University in China.
- Bridget Golding, Bachelor of Music student who will attend China Conservatory of Music in China.
- Hedy Shi, Bachelor of Science student who will attend Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China.
- Amelia Waldie, Bachelor of Arts students who will attend The University of the South Pacific in Cook Islands.
- Tiaré Murphy, Bachelor of Design student who will attend The University of the South Pacific in Fiji.
- Maxwell Bishop, Bachelor of Biomedicine student who will attend The University of the South Pacific in Cook Islands.
- Rue Kelly, Bachelor of Commerce/Diploma of Languages student who will attend Gadjah Mada University in Indonesia.
University of Melbourne Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global, Culture and Engagement) Professor Michael Wesley congratulated the newly announced scholars.
"It is fantastic to see a record number of students awarded as New Colombo Plan Scholars for 2025, attending a range of esteemed institutions in our regional home of Asia and the Pacific," Professor Wesley said.
"This program and these students represent our commitment to rich global experiences and a global education at the University of Melbourne, and we wish them the best of luck in 2025."
The scholarship scheme includes tuition fee support and living costs to provide students with the opportunity to participate in study, training and internship opportunities at their chosen universities, which in this round span across China, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Cook Islands and Fiji.
Pictured:
Top row, left to right: Benedict Xu-Holland, Tiffany Huang, Zhixuan Zhang, Amanda Chao, Amelia Waldie
Middle row, left to right: Avikgna Linganathan, Dorothy Hou, Hayley Cheung, Lanna Shaw, Maxwell Bishop
Bottom row, left to right: Bridie Golding, Hedy Shi, Hanyang Ma, Rue Kelly, Tiaré Murphy
