Monash University has launched a $2.5 million first-of-its-kind awards program to support students from Southeast Asia to study at Monash University campuses.
The Vice-Chancellor's ASEAN Awards, announced at the Australia-ASEAN Business Forum in Adelaide today, will financially support high-achieving undergraduate students from across the region to study at the University from Semester 1, 2026.
The awards program is designed to ease the full cost of study for international students – combining tuition support, travel and relocation assistance, visa fee coverage, and other services into one bundled award – and will be open to new undergraduate students from all 10 ASEAN member countries.
Monash University Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Sharon Pickering said the awards are part of Monash's commitment to accessible world-class education and enduring connections across the region.
"Southeast Asia is a dynamic region of extraordinary growth, diversity and talent. Monash is committed to supporting the next generation of leaders and changemakers from ASEAN nations, and to building a more inclusive and collaborative future for our region," Professor Pickering said.
"From the moment Monash opened its doors in 1961 students from ASEAN have called Monash home. These students have helped shape Monash, which today is a truly international university deeply embedded in ASEAN. These awards reflect Monash's deep ties to Southeast Asia – through our students, alumni, research and partnerships – and our commitment to delivering transformational education and research across the region.
"Monash has 16,000 ASEAN students – including more than 7,700 studying at our Victorian campuses – more than any other Australian university. Together with our network of almost 60,000 ASEAN alumni, which includes government ministers, industry executives, and community leaders, Monash's soft diplomacy in the region is real and lasting."
Assistant Minister for Education, the Hon Julian Hill MP, said the new program highlights the central role of international education in shaping the future of the Indo-Pacific.
"International education enriches the cultural and knowledge economies of countries across the Indo-Pacific, and Australia is proud to play a leading role in that exchange," Assistant Minister Hill said. "Programs like the Vice-Chancellor's ASEAN Awards demonstrate how leading global universities such as Monash can extend these opportunities to outstanding students, strengthening innovation, collaboration and mutual understanding across our region."
Students will be selected through a competitive process with country-based quotas to ensure broad representation across the region. Undergraduate students from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam will be eligible to apply.
Monash has a strong footprint across Southeast Asia, with campuses in Malaysia and Indonesia, locations in China and India, and a growing alumni and research network across the ASEAN region. It has consistently led in education mobility, partnerships and student recruitment in the Indo-Pacific.
This announcement complements the University's broader Southeast Asia engagement strategy, reflecting both the strategic priorities of the Australian Government and the ASEAN community.
Professor Pickering serves on the Australian Government's inaugural ASEAN-Australia Centre Advisory Board, which was established by the Australian Government in 2024 to foster regional ties.
