• Three Charles Sturt students receive New Colombo Plan Scholarships to study overseas in 2025 
• A Bathurst Emergency Management student will visit the University of the South Pacific in Fiji
• More than 200 Australian undergraduate students from 33 universities were offered New Colombo Plan Scholarships this year

A Charles Sturt University Emergency Management student will further his research project in Fiji as part of a life-changing scholarship program.

Mr Isaac Taylor lives in Tasmania and is studying a Bachelor of Emergency Management online through Charles Sturt in Bathurst.

He is one of three Charles Sturt students to receive a New Colombo Plan (NCP) Scholarship in 2025. The other two students – Islamic Studies student Ms Alissa Shaheed-Arif and Social Work student Ms Kate Tannin – are going to Malaysia and Fiji, respectively.

A total of 219 Australian undergraduate students from 33 universities were offered NCP Scholarships this year. The scholarship aims to deepen Australia’s relationships in the Indo-Pacific region through expanding university, business and institutional links.

The NCP Scholarships offer students the chance to participate in semester-based study, language training and internships or mentorships in 40 identified Indo-Pacific locations.

Mr Taylor is the first emergency management student to be selected for the NCP and will complete language training, an internship and one session of study at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji.

The study component will focus on disaster recovery planning and will coincide with Charles Sturt’s session two (July to October). The language and internship timings are determined by the student.

Mr Taylor said the scholarship will allow him to ‘learn from people who are putting theory into practice’.

“As an online student of emergency management, this scholarship is a great opportunity for me to have practical hands-on experience in both an academic sense and work experience,” he said.

“I’m also really looking forward to being a part of the student community on campus with people from all over the Pacific and the opportunity to study in a graduate community of emergency managers from the region.”

Mr Taylor said the language studies will assist him with his research project on disaster recovery planning, which will be conducted with small Pacific communities impacted by climate change.

“I then hope to do an internship with a relevant emergency management agency in Fiji, which will give me the opportunity to learn on the ground from people in emergency management and build friendships that I will look to nurture into the future.”

Charles Sturt Global Manager Ms Samantha Ambridge said the scholarships provided life-changing opportunities for the selected students.

“These scholarships are worth thousands of dollars for each student covering reasonable living and tuition expenses,” Ms Ambridge said.

“Expenses cover tuition fees, language training, travel allowance, establishment costs, scholarship allowances, insurance and more.”

The NCP began in 2014 and since then, Charles Sturt has seen 11 students, including the 2025 scholars, awarded the scholarship.

The 2025 scholars commenced their program preparations in December 2024 and will continue their preparations in February in Canberra, where they will attend pre-departure briefings before an award ceremony to celebrate their achievements.

Charles Sturt University is Australia’s largest regional university with major campuses in Bathurst, Orange, Wagga Wagga, Dubbo, Albury-Wodonga and Port Macquarie. The University has also opened campuses in Sydney and Melbourne.