(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) –Australian students continue to seize opportunities to live, study and undertake language training and internships in Sri Lanka under the Australian Government’s New Colombo Plan mobility program.
“In 2019, the Australian Government will support 135 students to participate in 14 projects in Sri Lanka, creating a new generation of young Australians with a strong understanding of and enduring connections to this country”, High Commissioner Bryce Hutchesson said.
“The students will take part in a range of projects in areas such as architecture and urban environment, business management, archaeology, environmental health, nursing, physiotherapy and agriculture, among others”.
As outlined in Australia’s 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper, the New Colombo Plan is a practical manifestation of the Australian Government’s commitment to learn from its neighbours in the Indo-Pacific region. It is also an increasingly important element of Australia’s relationship with Sri Lanka.
“We are pleased that Australian students want to deepen their knowledge of the people, business environment and culture in Sri Lanka,” High Commissioner Hutchesson said. “They will join a growing cohort of emerging leaders in Australia with personal and professional networks in Sri Lanka, who will contribute to the relationship between our two countries for decades to come”.
In 2019, the New Colombo Plan will support 11,817 students from 40 universities across Australia to take part in 792 mobility projects in 36 Indo-Pacific host locations. The returning students from the 2019 mobility projects will increase the New Colombo Plan alumni to around 40,000 young Australians with experience of living, studying and undertaking work experience in the Indo-Pacific region.
