More than $500k in grants to enable UniSA students to travel to Indo-Pacific region
By Sophia Moshakis
COMMUNITY Students are encouraged to apply for a variety of New Colombo Plan Mobility Program projects in countries including Singapore. Photo lechatnoir_iStockMore than 200 UniSA students will have the opportunity to undertake internships, mentorships, practicums and research across eight Asia Pacific countries thanks to the University’s success in an Australian Government’s premier mobility program.
Over the next two years, 212 UniSA undergraduate students will benefit from $589,599 in grants from the New Colombo Plan (NCP) Mobility Program. UniSA’s success means that from the latest funding round it can offer more than three times as many grants to undergraduate students as any other South Australian university.
The NCP Mobility Program aims to increase knowledge and foster relationships between Australia and countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
Each year, eligible UniSA students create valuable industry connections around the world and gain desired experience in their chosen fields of study. Students are encouraged to apply for a variety of projects in countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Fiji.
With travel restrictions still in place for many countries, the projects will be offered with flexible mode arrangements. Projects may run in-person, virtually, or in a hybrid model, which will increase accessibility for all students.
UniSA Pro-Vice Chancellor: International Gabrielle Rolan says the positive outcomes are a fantastic achievement in an incredibly challenging time, and were the result of a collaborative effort from staff across the University.
“We’re confident these funds will enable us to continue providing valuable international and intercultural experiences to students in a time where maintaining our global outlook and connections are more important than ever,” she says.
As part of the 2022 NCP funding, $100,000 will support a virtual international experience for UniSA Online students following a successful pilot in 2021. Last year’s pilot saw students continue studying 100 per cent online, whilst participating in a range of exciting virtual projects with peers from across the globe.
UniSA Online Bachelor of Business (Management) student Peter Cheyne completed a virtual mobility experience in Vietnam as part of the pilot. The project involved students from different universities analysing traditional farming methods used in Vietnamese coffee farms. They developed recommendations for changes to irrigation and fertilisation methods to improve the crop and business.
“Using my business skills in a culture that’s completely different to Australia was just fantastic,” Peter says.
“I would recommend a virtual international experience, the cultural knowledge that you acquire is 100 per cent beneficial.”
If you’re a student interested in applying for an NCP Mobility Program, you can view upcoming in-country experiences on the UniSA website, or virtual experience on another section of the website. These include semester exchanges, overseas summer/winter schools and virtual international experiences.
Students with a particular interest in sustainable development and wanting to make a real-world impact, may be interested in applying for an NCP Global Project, with details also on the UniSA website.
For more information, you can also speak to UniSA mobility officers at short.programs@unisa.edu.au
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