Adelaide offers a world-class education

Tuesday, 12 February 2008

India's most outstanding tertiary students will have the opportunity to study at one of Australia's leading universities this year under a new bursary scheme announced in New Delhi today.

The University of Adelaide has set aside 54 lakhs Indian rupees (AUS$154,000) to provide bursaries for up to 33 postgraduate students and 10 undergraduate students from India.

Indian students who commence studies at the University of Adelaide in Semester 2, 2008 will be considered for one of these bursaries, worth more than 1 lakh Rs each, to assist with their living and studying expenses in Adelaide.

The bursaries will be awarded on a competitive basis, based on academic merit.

Postgraduate students will be eligible to study in a wide range of fields, including agriculture, business and commerce, engineering, computer science, environmental management and international studies.

Up to 10 bursaries of the same value will be offered to Indian students enrolling in undergraduate degrees in business, architecture, commerce, economics, education and law.

University of Adelaide Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) Professor John Taplin said the bursaries would help ease the costs of an education at a world-ranking university overseas.

"The University is aware that the Indian Government wants to increase the access of Indian students to higher quality tertiary education," Professor Taplin said. "Due to India's remarkable economic and social growth, it has been estimated that there will be a shortfall of about 500,000 professionals by the end of the decade and that the number of world-class PhDs needs to be five times the number currently being produced.

"Our engagement with India has grown markedly in recent years, with more collaborative research being undertaken between our two countries. We would like to play our part in addressing the emerging skills shortage as well," Professor Taplin said.

The University of Adelaide currently has 195 Indian students enrolled in postgraduate and undergraduate courses across its campuses.

Over its 134-year history, the University has been associated with five Nobel Prize winners, 101 Rhodes Scholars and 103 Fulbright Scholars - the most of any Australian university. Its alumni have become national and international leaders in government, business, the professions and many fields of science and technology.

The Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon. Julia Gillard, is an alumnus of the University.

Contact Details