In a bid to discover India’s next visionaries, the University of Sydney has announced scholarships worth $500,000 for outstanding students.
The new scholarships intend to deepen the commitment to education for students who have the ability to achieve their full potential and vision that can shape India’s future.
Announcing the scholarships during his recent visit to India, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Sydney, Dr Michael Spence, informed that as part of the application process, the applicant will be asked to share their “one idea that will bring change to India”.
“India has produced leaders whose vision has changed the world; people such as Mahatma Gandhi, Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam and Indira Nooyi have all made lasting impacts on society, business and engineering,” Dr Spence said.
“The University of Sydney has been producing leaders for more than 160 years and with this new prestigious scholarship scheme we are looking to help find the next leaders of India whose vision will shape its future,” he added.
A total of 28 scholarships will be up for grabs consisting of:
-3 x $50,000 scholarships for undergraduate students paid over the duration of an undergraduate degree up to four years;
-10 x $20,000 first-year scholarships for undergraduate and postgraduate students;
-15 x $10,000 first-year scholarships for undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Anyone who is an Indian citizen and is currently residing in India can apply for the scholarships from April 1, onwards for an undergraduate or postgraduate coursework degree at the university.
Those students who are permanent residents of Australia will not be considered for the program.
International students from more than 130 countries study at several campuses at the University of Sydney across New South Wales, including the largest campus in Camperdown in the inner city of Sydney, according to the university’s website.
After the US, Australia is the most popular destination for Indian students, according to the Australian Embassy in New Delhi.
There has been a 17 per cent surge in the number of student enrolments from India, compared to 16 per cent from China, according to the Australian Financial Review.
India now contributes to over 62,000 more students to Australia’s higher education.
“Our research collaborations with Indian partners are growing and we hope to accelerate that growth over the coming years. We have much to learn from our partners in India and have signed the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, IIT Bombay and Indian Institute of Technology Madras as strategic partners,” Dr Spence said.
Aspiring students who fulfil the criteria can send their applications before May 30.
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