The University of Western Sydney (UWS) recently hosted a visit by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Julie Bishop MP, at its Penrith Campus to celebrate the success of its New Colombo Plan (NCP) students. Minister Bishop was accompanied by Federal Member for Lindsay, Fiona Scott MP, and met by UWS Vice-Chancellor Professor Barney Glover.
Almost 200 UWS students will participate in the NCP this year, which aims to lift knowledge of the Indo-Pacific in Australia by supporting Australian undergraduate students to study and undertake internships in the region.
Minister Bishop congratulated the NCP students on their selection for scholarships and mobility grants and expressed confidence that their experiences would be transformational, helping them to gain the skills and knowledge to become future leaders.
NCP 2014 scholar Jasmin Hammond spoke at the event about how the NCP had given her the confidence to pursue her childhood dream and apply for medicine. She will begin a bachelor of medicine at UWS this year. As a high achieving Indigenous woman, she hopes to encourage other Indigenous students to apply for the NCP and pursue their academic aspirations.
