Media Release

Thursday, 26 November 2009

Four University of Adelaide students have been awarded Federal Government scholarships valued up to $63,500 to study and work in Asia under a new program initiated by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

Jade Cooper, Michelle Lee, Matthew Rodda and Kathleen Wang have each won a prestigious Prime Minister's Australia Asia Endeavour Award - the Asian equivalent of a Rhodes Scholarship - which was presented by the Prime Minister in Canberra last night.

The Awards, introduced this year, provide educational and living expenses for 6-12 months of study in 2010 at a university of their choice in Asia, followed by internships of up to a year. They are valued at up to $63,500 for postgraduates, and up to $41,500 for undergraduates.

The University of Adelaide was the only South Australian university to be awarded the scholarships and won 10% of the awards offered nationally.

Details of the students and their study destinations are:

• Jade Cooper (studying Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of International Studies/Diploma of Languages (Japanese) - attending Osaka University, Japan, taking a combination of Law, Foreign Affairs and Japanese language courses;

• Michelle Lee (PhD student in Orthopaedics) - Chinese University of Hong Kong, researching traditional Chinese medicine and the effects on bone cancer;

• Matthew Rodda (PhD student in Bioscience) - Institute of Urban Environment within the Chinese Academy of Sciences, undertaking research on the physiology of rice plants;

• Kathleen Wang (studying Bachelor of Psychology [Honours]) - University of Hong Kong, studying intercultural psychology and holistic health care.

All plan to take internships with Asian companies or organisations relevant to their degrees once they have completed their study components.

The University of Adelaide's Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor James McWha, says the Awards "provide a unique opportunity for local students to broaden their professional and personal horizons in an international context".

"The Australia Endeavour Awards will help our students undertake research that is not only relevant to their degree, but they will gain international work experience and build a professional network in Asia.

"It's a wonderful achievement and an opportunity to establish lifelong career collaborations. These awards also further cement the University's strong links with Asia," Professor McWha says.