AIIA Qld is pleased to announce that this year we have two student scholarships to award, each worth $2500. Thanks to a generous donor, we have been able to increase the funding for the Asia Pacific Scholarship, and introduce the new AIIA Qld International Scholarship. These scholarships have been created in line with the AIIA’s commitment of promoting understanding and interest in international affairs.

The Asia Pacific Scholarship first started in 2015, and is now in its third year. This scholarship is awarded to Australian students from Queensland universities, who wish to undertake study within the Asia Pacific region. Previous winners of the scholarship include Jordana Colvin (2015) who studied in Japan, and Elizabeth Dowrie who attended the China University of Political Science and Law. The newly created International Scholarship will be awarded to a student from a Queensland university, who wishes to undertake international study anywhere in the world.

Applications for both of these scholarships are now open and close on August 31, 2017, with the selection process commencing in September. Applicants will need to submit a statement detailing their proposed educational activity, information regarding their current course of study, any previous international study or funding for their proposed activity, and an endorsement from a relevant academic supervisor. Please send all applications to aiiaqld@20.185.176.227 by the 31st of August, 2017, with the applicant’s name in the headline. The application form and selection criteria can be downloaded from this website.

The selection process will begin in September, based upon the recommendations of a selection panel comprised of three representatives from Queensland universities. The successful candidates will be notified once the council has accepted the recommendations, and successful students will have to provide evidence of their travel plans prior to receiving the scholarship. Once the students have returned from their travel, they will be expected to provide a report of their experience, and may be invited to give a short presentation at an AIIA meeting.

We encourage all students with an interest in international affairs and a dream of studying abroad to apply.

By Lilly Gibson-Dougall