2015 PM’s Scholarships for Asia announced

The 2015 Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia have been awarded to 152 students from across New Zealand.

“These scholarships are a special opportunity for young New Zealanders to study, conduct research, or take up internships in countries that are hugely important to New Zealand, both today and in the future,” says Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce.

Now in its third year, this fifth round of scholarships takes the total number of recipients to date to 617. Funding of $9 million over five years was provided in Budget 2013 for the programme as part of the Government’s Internationally Focused Growth Package.

“During the trade missions and education delegations I lead overseas, I meet several Kiwis immersing themselves in the education and culture of our Asian neighbours as a result of these scholarships. These young people are making an investment for themselves and their country by picking up skills and experience that will place them at the forefront of our future in this Asia-Pacific century,” Mr Joyce says.

The 152 recipients awarded funding this round include 82 individuals and 4 groups.

Group recipients include 20 students from Lincoln University undertaking summer school in Indonesia, learning more about Indonesian culture and business with a particular focus on agribusiness and food supply.  Meanwhile 15 students from Unitec will undertake a student exchange to Chongqing University of Science and Wuhan University this month.

Individual recipients include a cyber security postgraduate student at the University of Waikato who will take up an internship with Interpol’s Global Complex for Innovation (GCI) in Singapore to continue their work into cybercrime.

“These young people are embracing our 21st century globalised world. We even have one student studying for a Bachelor of Commerce and Arts using their scholarship to add Thai to a set of language skills that already includes Japanese, Mandarin and Taiwanese.

“More and more members of this new generation are changing tack and heading to Asia rather than New Zealand’s traditional OE destinations,” says Mr Joyce.

Applications for the next round of scholarships are now open, they close at 5pm on 30 March 2016. Applications can be made by individuals or groups to Education New Zealand, the lead agency for the promotion of international education.

More information, including a full list of current recipients of the Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia can be found here: http://www.enz.govt.nz/how-we-work/scholarships/pmsa