alumni Stories

Brisbane-born Dana Carmichael described her New Colombo Plan scholarship as 'life changing' and was a launchpad to her international business career with PepsiCo.

In 2017, Dana was one of the youngest recipients of the New Colombo Plan Scholarship, an opportunity to learn, study and work in Singapore.

When former elite athlete and Edith Cowan University student Grace Hull applied for a New Colombo Plan (NCP) Scholarship, she never anticipated what an impact it would have on her life and her career.

Australian researcher and entrepreneur Dr Elise Stephenson is making contributions to equality in international affairs.

The 2014 New Colombo Plan scholar is now the Deputy Director of the Global Institute for Women's Leadership at the Australian National University.

Law and anthropology Monash graduate Iain Payne has developed strong connections with Nepal over the past 13 years as a volunteer, student, intern and consultant. 'Being awarded the 2016 New Colombo Plan Nepal Fellowship during my studies was a chance to be in Nepal at an important inflection point,' Iain says.

New Colombo Plan alum Oliver Pang is part of the green technology innovation movement. And it is through the myriad of startups founded by passionate individuals determined to make a difference, that he believes global transformation can happen.

Jenna Hawes says her time in the Republic of Korea and India gave her experiences that were instrumental in building her career in international development.

Proud of his Aboriginal heritage as a Darug man of the people of Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains, Josh has long held an ambition to be a rural doctor.

As an undergraduate student of Human Biology at the University of Western Australia, Anton Lucanus intended to return to Australia to study medicine after completing his New Colombo Plan (NCP) Scholarship in Indonesia in 2015.

Appointed to the Australian Government's Australia-ASEAN Council Board in October, Hayley Winchcombe’s professional passion for Southeast Asia began when she was appointed the inaugural New Colombo Plan ASEAN Fellow in 2018.

With age comes experience, but for Swinburne University of Technology Psychological Science student, Fiona Mikic, a two-week international leadership placement in India supported by the New Colombo Plan (NCP), has eclipsed anything she has experienced in life so far.

Taking every opportunity to engage in international learning has been the hallmark of the educational journey for Queensland's 2022 Rhodes Scholar and New Colombo Plan alum, Tahlia Smith.

University of Newcastle honours student, Jess Rodham visited Tuvalu as part of her New Colombo Plan scholarship.

Supporting Central Queensland University sonography students to take up international placements with Vietnam’s Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy.

For Scott Fordyce, travelling to Fiji for his New Colombo Plan Scholarship has been a life-changing experience—and one that was unimaginable to him only a few years ago.