Australian students fly in learn culture and make new friends

FOUR Australian students are in Port Moresby on a two-week sports science study programme.
The students and a staff member from Australia’s James Cook University (JCU) are in Port Moresby for a two-week study programme under the Australian government’s scholarship programme called the New Colombo Plan (NCP).
The study visit is aimed at increasing the Australian students’ knowledge of the country, build friendship, and share their knowledge and experience of PNG culture to a wider audience in Australia.
The students arrived on Sunday, June 17, accompanied by their deputy head of faculty human movement – Sport Science – Glen Deakin.
Australian Deputy High Commissioner Caitlin Wilson, who welcomed the team, highlighted the significant bilateral and historical relationship between PNG and Australia.
Wilson emphasised the importance of the programme and its contribution to Australia’s longstanding ties with PNG and our shared history.
She encouraged the students to establish networks with people in PNG and build on those networks upon their return to Australia.
Director of High Performance Sports, Aaron Aslop acknowledged the contribution this programme will make in re-affirming the PNG-Australia partnership and exchange of knowledge between staff of High Performance Sports PNG, PNG sport elites and the JCU students.
The students are hosted by the PNG Sports Foundations High Performance office and are undertaking various sport science activities with PNG’s national athletes, High Performance Sports staff and the PNG Sports Foundation as part of their two-week study.
They return home tomorrow. Forty-nine students from various universities in Australia have successfully completed their study placements in PNG since its launch in 2015.
The NCP programme involves study of up to one year for Australian undergraduates as well as internships and project grants, which support undergraduates to participate in semester-based or short-term study, practicums and research.