In 2024, Australia welcomed approximately 180,000 students from Southeast Asia, composing 20 per cent of all international students to Australia. Many Southeast Asian alumni of Australian universities have careers in politics, business, academia and the arts while maintaining their close ties to Australia.
Australia has deep people-to-people connections with Southeast Asia, shaped by migration, education exchanges and tourism. In the 2021 Census, more than one million Australian residents claimed Southeast Asian ancestry. We continue to foster these close ties through the New Colombo Plan, Australia Awards, Aus4ASEAN scholarships, the Australian Volunteers Program and a range of public diplomacy initiatives in the region.
The ASEAN-Australia Centre and Australia-Indonesia Institute deliver programs and initiatives that deepen Australia’s connections with Southeast Asia.
Since 2024, the ASEAN-Australia Centre has connected students and teachers from 56 schools across Australia and Southeast Asia. It has supported 21 grants valued at $4.3 million that connect Southeast Asia and Australia and run Emerging Leaders Programs and short courses for more than 220 future leaders from across the region.
The Australia-Indonesia Institute has championed initiatives that strengthen people-to-people links across a range of sectors including education, youth and the arts since 1989. Flagship programs include the Australia-Indonesia Youth Exchange Program, Australia-Indonesia Muslim Exchange Program, Elizabeth O’Neill Journalism Award and the Senior Editors Program, as well as an annual Grants Program.
In 2025, Australia provided over 650 new long-term Australia Awards scholarships and over 1,700 short-term scholarships across Southeast Asia, including our Aus4ASEAN scholars. The Mekong-Australia Partnership supports additional Australia Awards for Mekong scholars.
Laos teacher Ms Shamarie Lyle Arceño visits West Wallsend High School as part of the ASEAN-Australia BRIDGE School Partnerships Program. Credit: ASEAN-Australia Centre
Under our ASEAN-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) between 2023 and 2025, Australia awarded 227 Aus4ASEAN Scholarships to undertake Masters programs in Australia, and 47 Fellowships to undertake online, in-Australia and regional components to deepen knowledge and networks in areas that reinforce the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo Pacific (AOIP).
Young Australians are also choosing to study in Southeast Asia, including under the New Colombo Plan (NCP). The NCP supports Australian undergraduate university students to build their Asia capability through study, language training and internships in the region. In 2026, 514 long-term programs were awarded for students to undertake their NCP experience in Southeast Asia, with 1,379 short-term Mobility grants awarded.
The skills and capabilities these students develop deepen our national understanding of the region and strengthen the ties between our people.
