The number showed an increase of over 35 percent compared to 2016 and doubled the figure in 2015, when Vietnam first joined the New Colombo Plan programme. As such, Vietnam ranks 7th among 38 host countries in the Indo-Pacific region in terms of number of students enrolled.
The students from 22 Australian universities will study and undertake internships at over 30 institutions in Vietnam in a broad range of areas including business management, education, health, engineering, hospitality, urban design and regional planning.
Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Craig Chittick remarked that the result demonstrates Australian students’ increasing interest in Vietnam, representing a wonderful compliment to the strong and long-lasting education ties between the two countries.
He also expressed his hope that the new insights and understanding about Vietnam as well as new friendships that Australian students have established in the Southeast Asian country will benefit the bilateral relations between the two countries for a long time.
The New Colombo Plan is a signature initiative of the Australian Government to lift knowledge of the Indo-Pacific by supporting Australian undergraduate students to carry out part of their study and undertake internships in the region.
By 2017 the total number of Australian undergraduate students who live, study and take up internships in countries in the Indo-Pacific region under the New Colombo Plan mobility programme will exceed 17,000.
The New Colombo Plan is a 100-million AUD initiative to increase the number of Australians studying part of their degree in the region, to deepen their knowledge and understanding of Asia and build people-to-people ties.
