Students from the University of Sydney's United States Studies Centre visited China recently under a New Colombo mobility grant.

The group's itinerary included a visit to the Australian Embassy in Beijing to meet Australian diplomats for a discussion on Australia's relationship with China. The discussion covered politics, the economic relationship and education links between the two countries.

As an Australian diplomat at the Embassy in China said, "the students were a lively and interesting group, all with great questions to ask and experiences to share. We hope to see some of them back in China again soon to pursue their studies and hopefully, down the track, careers relating to the Australia-China relationship."

Around one-fifth of all students participating in the New Colombo Plan will undertake programs in China in 2015.

The New Colombo Plan provides Australian undergraduate students with opportunities to live, study and undertake work placements in 38 locations across the Indo-Pacific. The program complements inbound study programs, such as the Australia Awards program, to create a genuine two-way flow of students between Australia and the region.

Since its 2014 pilot, the New Colombo Plan has supported around 4,600 students and will continue to expand in 2016 to offer 100 scholarships and more than 5,450 mobility placements in the region.

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