Australia-Asia Fellowship

Full Job Description

Scholarships

• Australia-Asia Fellowship

What Is The Australia Asia Fellowship?

The Westpac Australia-Asia Fellowship is an opportunity for passionate and curious individuals to expand their worldview, embrace new perspectives and enhance their Asia-capability and leadership skills.

Our Australia-Asia Fellows undertake a world-class, 9-month leadership development program, including two residential programs exploring four countries across Southeast Asia.

The program embraces a mix of cultural immersion, collaboration, adaptive leadership and candid access to thought leaders working at the interface of Australia's relationship with the Asia-Pacific.

Explore Our Region

The fellowship will enable you to explore the breadth and depth of Southeast Asia through our leadership residentials. Residential destinations include Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Leadership Development

Build leadership skills, learn about the Asia-Pacific and enhance your Asia-capability over a 9-month leadership development journey.

W100 Scholars Network

Connect with an inspiring network of like-minded game-changers and achievers across all five Westpac scholarship streams and attend exclusive events like the Westpac Scholars Summit held in Sydney. You’ll also have the opportunity to participate in mentoring as part of the W100 Network.

Become A Westpac Australia Asia Fellow

Applications for 2027 Westpac Australia-Asia Fellowships are now open. Applications close 20 October 2026, 5.00pm AEDT.

Online Information Session

29 September 2026, 4.30-5.30pm AEST. Register here.

Eligibility

We’re looking for Australia’s best and brightest Asia-engaged university students . To be eligible you must:

• Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

• Be studying at one of our participating Australian universities (undergraduate or postgraduate) during your fellowship year.

• Currently hold, or have graduated, with a minimum of a credit average.

• Have completed a learning abroad program in the Asia Pacific. Eligible experiences must:

• Have been undertaken in-person for a minimum of 1 semester (or 4 months)

• Be an approved program conducted through an Australian university

• Have commenced during or after semester 1, 2024

• Have been undertaken at one of the eligible destinations (see FAQ tab for full list)

• Be able to attend:

• The Westpac Scholars Summit in Sydney: 28 - 29 April, 2027

• Leadership Development Residential 1: 28 June - 2 July 2027

• Leadership Development Residential 2: 27 September - 1 October 2027

• Have been undertaken in-person for a minimum of 1 semester (or 4 months)

• Be an approved program conducted through an Australian university

• Have commenced during or after semester 1, 2024

• Have been undertaken at one of the eligible destinations (see FAQ tab for full list)

• The Westpac Scholars Summit in Sydney: 28 - 29 April, 2027

• Leadership Development Residential 1: 28 June - 2 July 2027

• Leadership Development Residential 2: 27 September - 1 October 2027

Students from all fields of study are encouraged to apply. Please check our FAQs for more details.

What Is The Westpac Australia Asia Fellowship?

Fellows attend our annual Westpac Scholars Summit in Sydney, and participate in two week-long, culturally immersive Residential programs. The first of these programs will take place in Singapore and Johor Bahru, Malaysia. The second Residential program will be held in Jakarta, Indonesia and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Fellows also gain lifelong membership to the Westpac 100 Scholars Network (W100). This fellowship is one of five programs offered by Westpac Scholars Trust, backing people from all walks of life who have the drive and ideas to shape the future of Australia. The Trust partners with Australia’s leading universities to offer 100 scholarships a year, forever.

Which Destinations In The Asia Pacific Are Eligible For My Previous Overseas Experience?

The following destinations are included in eligible previous Asia-Pacific experiences:

— Bangladesh — Bhutan — Brunei Darussalem — Cambodia

— China (including Hong Kong and Macau) — Cook Islands — Federated States of Micronesia — Fiji

— French Polynesia — India — Indonesia — Japan

— Kiribati — Laos — Malaysia — Maldives

— Marshall Islands — Mongolia — Nauru — Nepal

— New Caledonia — Niue — Palau — Papua New Guinea

— The Philippines — Republic of Korea — Samoa — Singapore

— Solomon Islands — Sri Lanka — Taiwan — Thailand

— Timor-Leste — Tonga — Tuvalu — Vanuatu

— Vietnam — — —

How Much Is The Fellowship Worth?

The fellowship is valued at $16,000. This funds fellow participation for most aspects of the program, including airfares, accommodation, logistics, transportation, meals, and other expenses. Fellows may incur some minor expenses relating to travel and other incidentals. Please note, you do not receive any in-pocket funding as part of this fellowship, all expenses are paid on your behalf directly to the program organisers.

What Is Not Covered By The Fellowship?

You are responsible for funding and organising your own valid visa, passport and travel insurance for Residential programs. All three are mandatory to participate in the programs and maintain your eligibility for the fellowship. We will provide you with an official letter which details your reason for entry and can work with you to provide any other documentation necessary.

There may be minor incidental meals incurred while in-country, for example, at low-cost food markets where cash is required. We will do our best to minimise these instances, but fellows will be advised to carry a certain amount of their own cash while in-country.

What Kinds Of Previous Long Term Asia Pacific Experiences Are Eligible?

Previous Asia-Pacific experiences must have been:

• A minimum of 4 months in person (or 1 semester)

• An approved/official program administered through an Australian university

• Commenced during or after semester 1, 2024

• Undertaken at one of the eligible destinations

Assuming it meets the above criteria, this may include:

• International exchange/study abroad (min. 1 semester)

• International internships

• International volunteering

• In-country language training

• Research

What it does not include:

• Recreational travel

• Living abroad

• Working abroad, if not undertaking a work-integrated learning/internship program through an Australian university

• Studying at an overseas institution, if not undertaking an exchange/study abroad program through an Australian university

• Virtual exchanges/study abroad programs

If you are unsure whether your previous Asia-Pacific experience is eligible, please contact: westpacscholars@westpac.com.au

I'm In My Final Year Of University, Can I Still Apply?

You must be studying an undergraduate or postgraduate degree during the year of your fellowship. If you apply in 2026 for the 2027 application round, you must be studying for all of 2027.

What Degrees Are Eligible For The Fellowship?

• Undergraduate degrees, including Honours, with a minimum of a credit average

• Postgraduate degrees, including Masters, PhD, Graduate Diploma/Certificate

Postgraduate degrees must be a minimum of 1 year. You must be studying full-time during your fellowship year.

Can I Defer My Fellowship?

No. You must undertake your fellowship program (including attendance at the Westpac Scholars Summit, and both Leadership Development Residentials), during the year of award.

What Happens During The Leadership Development Residentials?

Our workshops focus on experiential learning, where concepts are explored and then put straight into practice in small groups.

Panel discussions Our panel discussions bring together leaders from across industry, government and civil society for in-depth discussions on issues of regional importance.

In-conversation sessions In-conversation sessions feature informal yet structured conversations with distinguished guests. These sessions provide a unique opportunity for you to interact, ask questions, and delve deeply into specific topics.

Reflection sessions Reflection sessions provide us all the opportunity to reflect on the previous day’s sessions and consider how we are showing up as our best selves. They are designed to stimulate conversation, pose challenging questions and build adaptive leadership capabilities.

Social events Our social events are designed to support you to create networks and explore the region. From formal dinners to an Amazing Race, the Asia-Pacific is one of the most exciting regions on the planet and we want you to explore it to its fullest.

What Happened To The Westpac Asian Exchange Scholarship?

In 2025, Westpac Scholars Trust conducted a review of the Asian Exchange Scholarship to consider how to best have impact in our Asia-Pacific Leadership (then ‘Australia in Asia’) impact area. The review concluded that the program was duplicative of other scholarships that offer in-pocket funding for long-term exchanges.

Westpac Scholars Trust set-out to redesign a program that leveraged our strengths of university partnerships and leadership development and occupy a niche in the Asia-capable ecosystem that maximised the impact of our investment. The result of this process is the Australia-Asia Fellowship. This fellowship is the successor to the Asian Exchange Program, and alumni of both programs will be closely connected through their shared interests and objectives of a more Asia-capable Australia.

Our Partner Universities

The Westpac Australia-Asia Fellowship is offered at the following leading Australian universities:

• Adelaide University

• Australian National University

• Monash University

• Murdoch University

• Queensland University of Technology

• RMIT University

• The University of Melbourne

• The University of New South Wales

• The University of Queensland

• The University of Sydney

• The University of Tasmania

• The University of Technology Sydney

• The University of Western Australia

• University of Wollongong

• Western Sydney University

• Westpac Australian-Asia Fellowship

• Westpac Future Leaders Scholarship

• Westpac Research Fellowship

• Westpac Social Change Fellowship

• Westpac Tech Futures Scholarship

Send us an email via: westpacscholars@westpac.com.au

Connect with us on social media

• LinkedIn

• Instagram

• Westpac Scholars News

We’re looking for Australia’s best and brightest Asia-engaged university students . To be eligible you must:

• Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

• Be studying at one of our participating Australian universities (undergraduate or postgraduate) during your fellowship year.

• Currently hold, or have graduated, with a minimum of a credit average.

• Have completed a learning abroad program in the Asia Pacific. Eligible experiences must:

• Have been undertaken in-person for a minimum of 1 semester (or 4 months)

• Be an approved program conducted through an Australian university

• Have commenced during or after semester 1, 2024

• Have been undertaken at one of the eligible destinations (see FAQ tab for full list)

• Be able to attend:

• The Westpac Scholars Summit in Sydney: 28 - 29 April, 2027

• Leadership Development Residential 1: 28 June - 2 July 2027

• Leadership Development Residential 2: 27 September - 1 October 2027

• Have been undertaken in-person for a minimum of 1 semester (or 4 months)

• Be an approved program conducted through an Australian university

• Have commenced during or after semester 1, 2024

• Have been undertaken at one of the eligible destinations (see FAQ tab for full list)

• The Westpac Scholars Summit in Sydney: 28 - 29 April, 2027

• Leadership Development Residential 1: 28 June - 2 July 2027

• Leadership Development Residential 2: 27 September - 1 October 2027

Students from all fields of study are encouraged to apply. Please check our FAQs for more details.

The following destinations are included in eligible previous Asia-Pacific experiences:

— Bangladesh — Bhutan — Brunei Darussalem — Cambodia

— China (including Hong Kong and Macau) — Cook Islands — Federated States of Micronesia — Fiji

— French Polynesia — India — Indonesia — Japan

— Kiribati — Laos — Malaysia — Maldives

— Marshall Islands — Mongolia — Nauru — Nepal

— New Caledonia — Niue — Palau — Papua New Guinea

— The Philippines — Republic of Korea — Samoa — Singapore

— Solomon Islands — Sri Lanka — Taiwan — Thailand

— Timor-Leste — Tonga — Tuvalu — Vanuatu

— Vietnam — — —

Previous Asia-Pacific experiences must have been:

• A minimum of 4 months in person (or 1 semester)

• An approved/official program administered through an Australian university

• Commenced during or after semester 1, 2024

• Undertaken at one of the eligible destinations

Assuming it meets the above criteria, this may include:

• International exchange/study abroad (min. 1 semester)

• International internships

• International volunteering

• In-country language training

• Research

What it does not include:

• Recreational travel

• Living abroad

• Working abroad, if not undertaking a work-integrated learning/internship program through an Australian university

• Studying at an overseas institution, if not undertaking an exchange/study abroad program through an Australian university

• Virtual exchanges/study abroad programs

If you are unsure whether your previous Asia-Pacific experience is eligible, please contact: westpacscholars@westpac.com.au

• Undergraduate degrees, including Honours, with a minimum of a credit average

• Postgraduate degrees, including Masters, PhD, Graduate Diploma/Certificate

Postgraduate degrees must be a minimum of 1 year. You must be studying full-time during your fellowship year.

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