Australia’s international development agency is calling on Cambodian master’s and PhD students to apply for ‘downunder’ study funds 

Applications for the Australian embassy's 2009  leadership and development scholarships opened last month to Cambodian students.

The scholarships, which have been offered since 1994, are funded by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), whose development priorities in Cambodia include disability, economic growth, education, food security and the environment.

There are currently 63 Cambodians studying on scholarship at Australian universities.

A leg up

The Australian Development Scholarships allow people from developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region to study in Australia to gain skills and knowledge that will contribute to the long term development of their home country.

There are 25 Development Scholarships available and only people applying for master's or postgraduate study are eligible.

The Leadership Scholarships aim to foster partnerships and cooperation between Australia  and countries in the Asia-Pacific region. They are offered to high achievers academically to fund their master's or doctorate study.  

Applications for the Development Scholarships close on  May 22 and the  cutoff date for Leadership Scholarship applications is June 30.

More information can be found at www.idp.com/australian_scholarships.