UQ celebrates record number of New Colombo Plan Scholars

The University of Queensland (UQ) has welcomed its largest-ever cohort of New Colombo Plan (NCP) Scholars, gathering students, staff, and supporters ahead of their upcoming study and training across the Indo-Pacific.

An afternoon tea, held at UQ St Lucia, provided an opportunity for students to meet one another and connect with UQ staff before embarking on their programs later this year.

UQ Pro‑Vice‑Chancellor (Global Partnerships) Mr Brett Lovegrove congratulated the students on their achievement and highlighted the importance of global connectedness.

“The New Colombo Plan gives our students rich, immersive opportunities to broaden their thinking, challenge themselves, and develop the global perspective our world needs,” Mr Lovegrove said. 

“Being named a Scholar is no small feat as each student here has earned it through vision, curiosity and dedication.”

This year also marks a significant milestone for UQ, which now holds over 10% of the total national market share of NCP Scholars, with early indications suggesting that UQ may have received the highest number of Scholars of any Australian university.

UQ Vice‑Chancellor and President Professor Deborah Terry AC commended the Scholars for their commitment to strengthening Australia’s engagement across a diverse range of locations, highlighting the breadth of opportunities offered through the NCP.

Administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the NCP Scholarship Program supports Australian undergraduates to deepen their understanding of the Indo‑Pacific through study and professional experience.

UQ’s 2026 NCP Scholars have selected 5 destinations for their upcoming programs – the Cook Islands, Hong Kong, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Singapore – with a total of 32 UQ students preparing to undertake study across these locations.

Congratulations to UQ’s 2026 NCP Scholars  

1. Charlotte Addison — Bachelor of Arts; Korea; Semester 1, 2026
2. Arthur Arkinstall — Bachelor of International Studies; Hong Kong; Semester 1, 2026
3. Emma Armitage‑Ho — Bachelor of Advanced Finance and Economics (Honours); Hong Kong; Semester 2, 2026
4. Vrisan Brahmbhatt — Bachelor of Advanced Finance and Economics (Honours); Japan; Semester 1, 2026
5. Luke Buker — Bachelor of Advanced Business (Honours); Singapore; Semester 1 & Semester 2, 2026
6. Samantha Crowley — Bachelor of International Studies; Japan; Semester 1, 2026
7. Sophia Dark — Bachelor of Environmental Management (Honours); Japan; Semester 2, 2026
8. Savannah Day — Bachelor of Arts / Laws (Honours); Cook Islands; Semester 1 & Semester 2, 2026
9. Sathustigan Eswaran — Bachelor of Mathematics / Computer Science, Dip Languages; Japan; Semester 1, 2026
10. Florence Farrar — Bachelor of International Studies; Japan; Semester 2, 2026
11. Rig Gautam — Bachelor of Engineering (Honours); Hong Kong; Semester 2, 2026
12. Elouise Gleeson — Bachelor of International Studies; Japan; Semester 1, 2026
13. Jialiang (Jasper) Guo — Bachelor of Laws (Honours); Hong Kong; Semester 2, 2026 & Semester 1, 2027
14. Pierce Hassall — Bachelor of International Studies; Japan; Semester 2, 2026
15. Jed Hoo — Bachelor of Computer Science; Hong Kong; Semester 1, 2026
16. Luca Irwin — Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics (Honours); Japan; Semester 1, 2026
17. Gianluca Josey — Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours); Korea; Semester 2, 2026
18. Mayukh Kakar — Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Master of Engineering; Hong Kong; Semester 2, 2026
19. Yagyaniket Neekhra — Bachelor of Advanced Finance and Economics (Honours); Singapore; Semester 2, 2026
20. Anthony Ngo — Bachelor of Mathematics / Computer Science; Singapore; Semester 2, 2026
21. Ashlinn November — Bachelor of Biomedical Science / Diploma of Languages; Japan; Semester 2, 2026
22. Aarthi Parthiban — Bachelor of Commerce / Laws (Honours); Singapore; Semester 2, 2026
23. Varun Pillai — Bachelor of Advanced Business (Honours); Singapore; Semester 2, 2026
24. Kai Pratt — Bachelor of Advanced Finance and Economics (Honours); Japan; Semester 2, 2026
25. Joshua Ryu — Bachelor of Science; Korea; Semester 1, 2026
26. Nathan Schache — Bachelor of International Studies; Japan; Semester 1, 2026
27. Srijesh (Sri) Sharma — Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics (Honours); Singapore; Semester 2, 2026
28. Valentin Stewart — Bachelor of Science; Japan; Semester 2, 2026 & Semester 1, 2027
29. Lawrence Sun — Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Master of Engineering; Singapore; Semester 2, 2026
30. Samuel (Sam) Taylor — Bachelor of Economics / Arts; Hong Kong; Semester 2, 2026
31. Charlene Tjondronegoro — Bachelor of Science; Japan; Semester 2, 2026
32. Gabriella Tomaszewski — Bachelor of International Studies; Japan; Semester 1, 2026.