What is the New Colombo Plan?
The New Colombo Plan (NCP) is an Australian Government initiative that provides opportunities for Australian undergraduate university students to develop their Indo-Pacific capability and Asia literacy through immersive, structured learning and internships in the Indo-Pacific region.
The program fosters deeper people-to-people and education relationships, and increases Australia's economic engagement with the region by supporting NCP participants to build job-ready skills, and supporting NCP alumni to maintain their ties to the Indo-Pacific.
In 2025, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong, announced a series of reforms to the program to strengthen the Indo-Pacific capability and Asia literacy of Australians.
The NCP is structured with three programs:
- The NCP Scholarships Program supports Australian undergraduate students to strengthen their Indo-Pacific capability and Asia literacy including through study, language learning and internships, through programs up to 19 months.
- The NCP Semester Program leverages Australian universities' partnership arrangements to support one-to-two semester length experiences for students to develop Indo-Pacific capability, including language learning and internships.
- The NCP Mobility Program focuses on short-term, credit-bearing experiences of four-to-nine weeks to develop Indo-Pacific capability that may include structured learning, internships, mentorships, practicums, and/or research.
In which locations can NCP students study?
There are nearly 40 eligible host locations for New Colombo Plan supported study across the Indo-Pacific region: