Australia’s Monash University debuts $1.6mn awards program for ASEAN students

The Vice-Chancellor’s ASEAN Awards, announced at the Australia-ASEAN Business Forum in Adelaide on Tuesday, will financially support high-achieving undergraduate students from across the region to study at the university from Semester 1, 2026.

The awards program is designed to ease the full cost of study for international students – combining tuition support, travel and relocation assistance, visa fee coverage, and other services into one bundled award – and will be open to new undergraduate students from all 10 ASEAN member countries.

Students will be selected through a competitive process with country-based quotas to ensure broad representation across the region.

Undergraduate students from Vietnam, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand will be eligible to apply.

Monash University Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Sharon Pickering said the awards were part of Monash’s commitment to accessible world-class education and enduring connections across the region.

“Southeast Asia is a dynamic region of extraordinary growth, diversity and talent,” Professor Pickering said.

“Monash is committed to supporting the next generation of leaders and changemakers from ASEAN nations, and to building a more inclusive and collaborative future for our region.

“These awards reflect Monash’s deep ties to Southeast Asia – through our students, alumni, research and partnerships – and our commitment to delivering transformational education and research across the region."

Assistant Minister for International Education, the Hon Julian Hill MP, said the new program highlighted the central role of international education in shaping the future of the Indo-Pacific region.

“International education enriches the cultural and knowledge economies of countries across the Indo-Pacific, and Australia is proud to play a leading role in that exchange,” said Assistant Minister Hill.

Monash has a strong footprint across Southeast Asia, with campuses in Malaysia and Indonesia, locations in China and India, and a growing alumni and research network across the ASEAN region.

It has consistently led in education mobility, partnerships and student recruitment in the Indo-Pacific.