NEWS
Take your study global with New Colombo Plan funding
More than 200 RMIT students will get to experience life-changing overseas study and internships thanks to funding from the Federal Government’s New Colombo Plan.
The funding is for outbound mobility programs to the Asia-Pacific region for three years, starting in 2017.
Professor Andrew MacIntyre, RMIT’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor Global Development and Vice-President, said the funding would allow students to take up opportunities in China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Samoa, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.
“This is a fantastic result for RMIT and our students and a great example of the University's global focus directly enriching the student experience,” he said.
“The University already has great relationships with other institutions and companies in the region, such as Universitas Pelita Harapan in Indonesia and the International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore.
“RMIT has a strong reputation overseas for producing work-ready graduates and this funding will allow more of our students to gain the international experience that industry needs.
“We remain committed to developing life-changing experiences for our students.
“We want to thank the Federal Government, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop for providing our students with these opportunities.”
The funding will cover 15 projects including engineering internships in Indonesia, the Humanitarian Design Program in Samoa and Global Entrepreneurship and Internship in China.
RMIT places significant emphasis on providing opportunities to gain overseas industry and clinical experience.
All students have the chance to participate in international experiences including student exchange, global intensives, industry placements and research programs, internships and volunteering, as well as cross-campus opportunities at the Melbourne and Vietnam campuses.
More than 2000 RMIT students took part in a global mobility program in 2015.
The New Colombo Plan is a Federal Government initiative that encourages Australian undergraduate students to study and undertake internships in the Indo-Pacific region.
Story: Claire Buckis