Victorian tertiary students will once again have the chance to immerse themselves in six months of study in China, with the revival of the state’s prestigious Hamer Scholarship program.
Victoria’s Premier Jacinta Allan launched the initiative in Beijing today as part of Victoria’s China Strategy: For a New Golden Era, announcing that for the first time, 20 new scholarships will be reserved specifically for regional students.
Each Hamer Regional Scholarship will provide $10,000 to support students studying, living in, or from regional Victoria.
Allan said her vision for the program drew on her own experiences as a country student.
“Studying in Asia and immersing myself in a language was an opportunity that didn’t feel within reach to us as country kids in the 90s, but it should now.”
The program, first established by Premier Rupert Hamer, was paused in 2019 due to pandemic travel restrictions. It has previously sent scholars to China, Indonesia, Japan and Korea, with past recipients including scientists, engineers, start-up founders and educators who have gone on to global careers.
Launching the program alongside the state’s new China Strategy, Ms Allan emphasised her focus on education.
“My top three priorities in China are clear: education, education, education. I’ll bring home more opportunities for teachers and students in the Education State.”
Allan also revealed details of her meeting with China’s Minister of Education, Huai Jinpeng, posting on X: “Today in Beijing, I met Minister of Education His Excellency Huai Jinpeng to discuss the cooperation between China and Victoria’s education systems and to oversee the signing of the historic Education Working Group.”
“I shared my three priorities for my visit to China – education, education and education – and I was proud to inform him that Mandarin is the number one language taught in Victorian Government schools.”
Minister Jinpeng shared his deep commitment to education and said that learning a language helps a child know more about the culture and history of another country.
Victoria’s Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs Danny Pearson added that the program would give regional students life-changing opportunities while strengthening Victoria’s global connections.
“We’ll give regional students a chance to experience something that will profoundly shape their lives – and over time, they’ll help boost Victoria’s standing as a globally-connected economy.”
Guidelines and timelines for the scholarships will be released soon.
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