What do Vice President Boediono, Minister of Finance Chatib Basri and Metro TV’s Najwa Shihab have in common?

They have all benefited from the opportunity to undertake postgraduate study at universities in Australia thanks to the support of scholarships from the Australia Awards.

The Australia Awards is a prestigious scholarship program funded by the Australian Government as part of its overseas aid commitments. The Awards provide funding to talented individuals from Australia’s aid partner countries, including Indonesia, to complete postgraduate qualifications at Australian universities and TAFE institutions.

The Awards allowing Indonesians to access world class tertiary education in Australia to further their country’s development. This educational exchange plays an important role in building people to people links between our two countries.

If you are an Indonesian national who is eager to complete a postgraduate course in Australia, this is a terrific opportunity to get the financial support to do so. Some of the benefits included in the Award are funding for travel and relocation expenses, health insurance while in Australia, and a stipend to cover living expenses.

Apart from the opportunity to gain a postgraduate qualification from some of the country’s top universities, the ability to live and study in Australia is a great way to expose yourself to a new culture and society—and, of course, to perfect your English language skills.

Hints and tips

Current Australia Awards recipients suggest a few practical tips for those interested in applying.

Firstly, consult someone you know who has gained a scholarship in a similar academic area and put in the time to make sure your research proposal is well thought out, interesting and relevant to the goals of the Australia Awards program.

Secondly, take the time to compile all of the paperwork that is requested, even if it requires a little extra effort on your part.

Thirdly, make sure your application forms are typed and not hand-written, and neatly presented. The little things count!

More information

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have prepared detailed information on applying for the 2015 Australia Awards round on their website.

Good luck, and we hope to see you on campus in Australia soon!