Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Bennelong for that question. I also thank him for his support for a coalition government initiative that has already seen great success in demonstrating Australia's deeper and broader engagement in our region. Indeed, I have been able to judge the success of this coalition initiative by the feedback I have had from numerous foreign minister counterparts in the region, who cite the New Colombo Plan as an extraordinary example of Australia's genuine commitment to engaging in our region. Indeed, at a recent ASEAN Regional Forum meeting, attended by at least 28 foreign ministers from the region and beyond, a majority of them in their own speeches to the forum raised the New Colombo Plan as an example of Australia's genuine commitment to the region. Indeed, since we established the New Colombo Plan in 2014 till the end of this year over 10,000 Australian students will have had the opportunity to live, study and work in one of 38 countries in our region.

Last sitting period, the minister for education, Senator Birmingham, and I announced the new funding for 2017. I can confirm to the House that a further 7,441 Australian university students from 40 Australian universities, across 31 countries, will experience the New Colombo Plan opportunities in 50 different fields of endeavour. What is unique about the New Colombo Plan in terms of a student exchange is that it involves partnerships with business, the community, NGOs and government to provide our students with opportunities to work, to undertake internships and practicums in the countries where they are studying. The member for Bennelong will be interested to know that, for example, by the end of next year 365 students from Macquarie University will have undertaken the New Colombo Plan experience. Next year, which I think is of great interest, 10 students will be studying big data, artificial intelligence and robotics in India with an internship at Tata Consultancy.

These are the examples that we are providing to young Australian students. It is transformative. It gives them new perspectives, new insights and new skills. Many of them take up language skills. We are focused on ensuring that our students have a greater level of Asian literacy than any previous generation.

I do want to place on record my deep appreciation and thanks to Senator Penny Wong, who not only turned up to our event but spoke at it in such glowing terms. Her father—an original Colombo Plan scholar from the 1960s—Francis Wong, was present to endorse our New Colombo Plan.

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