I am pleased to announce the next phase of the New Colombo Plan (NCP), which will further strengthen Australia's Indo-Pacific capability and Asia literacy.
Launched in 2014, the New Colombo Plan has supported over 55,000 Australian undergraduate students through study, internships and language training in the Indo-Pacific.
From 2026, we will further increase scholarship numbers, place greater emphasis on students learning Asian languages and prioritise long-term immersive experiences.
The next phase of the New Colombo Plan will focus on ensuring recipients develop the skills and capabilities Australia needs to deepen our national understanding of the region, strengthen the ties between our people, and increase engagement with Australian businesses operating in the region.
These reforms also support implementation of key recommendations from Invested: Australia's Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040.
Key elements of the reforms include:
- increasing the number of scholarships to 500 per year by 2028, creating a larger cohort of Australians with deeper Indo-Pacific capability;
- introducing a new NCP Semester Program to encourage students to undertake longer experiences in the region;
- creating a language learning target across the program to boost the learning of priority Asian languages;
- increasing engagement with Australia's transnational education presence in the Indo-Pacific, allowing for NCP programs to be undertaken at Australian offshore campuses in the region; and
- providing program support funding to Australian universities and university consortia to assist with the development of Indo-Pacific capability and priority Asian language course offerings.
Additional consideration will be given to locations where Australia is seeking to deepen engagement, as well as those focusing on priority Asian languages and economic sectors.
The program will also deepen business engagement by providing stronger private sector links and employment pathways for NCP students.
These reforms have been informed by recommendations of the NCP External Advisory Group, chaired by the Hon Tim Watts MP. I thank the members of the External Advisory Group for their important contributions to these reforms.
Grant guidelines for the 2026 rounds of the New Colombo Plan Scholarship, Semester and Mobility programs will be published in August 2025.
