Australia announces defence scholarships for ASEAN countries
Australia has announced the ASEAN-Australia Defence Scholarship for 10 scholars from ASEAN member nations, including Vietnam, to complete a two-year ‘Master of Strategic Studies’ Post-graduates degree in Australia.
Vietnamese officers in a training course in Australia (Source: the Australian Embassy in Vietnam )
Hanoi (VNA) – Australia has announcedthe ASEAN-Australia Defence Scholarship for 10 scholars from ASEAN membernations, including Vietnam, to complete a two-year ‘Master of StrategicStudies’ Post-graduates degree in Australia.
The announcement was made at the ASEAN-AustraliaSpecial Summit which took place in Sydney, Australia, from March 17-18.
Starting 2019, the programme will fund one representative from each ASEAN member nation and oneAustralian scholar.
“This programme will be the first of its kind for ASEAN defence officials,which will see ASEAN’s and Australia’sbest and brightest working together to share their experiences and developtheir strategic thinking,” said Senator the Hon Marise Payne, AustralianMinister for Defence.
Colonel Nerolie McDonald, Australian Defence Attaché to Vietnam, said Australiacommenced the Defence Cooperation Programme with Vietnam in 1999. Since then, Australiahas provided more than 2,000 training positions for Vietnamese defencepersonnel, including defence scholarships in Australia and Vietnam.
McDonald expressed his belief that personnel from the Vietnam People’s Armywill seek to take up this opportunity.
“Vietnamese Defence students areoutstanding performers in our Defence Cooperation Programme courses and I knowthey will do well again in this programme,” he said.
According to the Australian Embassy inVietnam, more details of the scholarship will be announced in the coming monthsthrough the Australian Defence Attaché Office in Vietnam.-VNA
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Vietnamese officers in a training course in Australia (Source: the Australian Embassy in Vietnam ) 
