The University of New South Wales (UNSW) is wooing Indian students with greater gusto, packing its offerings up to the gunwale with scholarships and student exchange programmes.
This year, UNSW is extending its ‘Future of Change’ scholarship to 61 Indian students as against only 11 last year.
Under this scholarship, 50 postgraduate students are eligible for a tuition fee waiver of $5,000 for one year; another 10 students for a scholarship amount valued at $10,000 per annum; and one student for a full tuition fee waiver.
To get shortlisted for the scholarship, besides a good academic record, students should send in a two-minute digital video testimonial on how the scholarship would help achieve their aspirations.
In a telephonic interaction with The Hindu , Amit Dasgupta, India country-director, UNSW, and a former diplomat, says the Australian government is viewing international students as an investment. “We currently have 6,000 international students at the university. Chinese students top the list followed by Indians, though the gap is significant,” he says.
The university currently has over 350 Indian students. By virtue of the ‘UNSW India Engagement’ programme, the number is bound to go up, he adds.
Study and work
The ‘New Colombo Plan’, an effort by the Australian government to give students studying in Australia an opportunity to spend a few weeks in an Asia Pacific region, is another initiative.
According to Dasgupta, more Australian students are showing interest in this three-week programme, drawn by the prospect of working with some of the leading companies.
Last year, 23 students from the School of Business, and this year 10 from the faculty of Arts and Science reaped the benefits of this study-and-work placement programme. They have to work on a project and submit a report. “Students also get a credit for the exchange programme,” says Dasgupta, adding that they plan to have two or more exchange programmes in a year.
UNSW is also looking at partnering with more Indian universities. “We already have an MoU with VIT in Chennai and Vellore, which we want to strengthen further,” says Dasgupta.
For further details, email g.lobo@unsw.edu.au
