Luke Thomas Awarded New Colombo Plan ASEAN Fellowship
Congrats Luke Thomas, recipient of the prestigious New Colombo Plan Scholarship! Luke will be spending a year abroad in Singapore, China, and South East Asia to explore his interest in developing nations and their policies.
What are you currently studying?
I study Mathematics and Economics at UWA, and I’ll be going into my third year of study in 2020. I’ve been at St Cat’s since I was a fresher, so around two years.
What is the New Colombo Plan Scholarship and where will it take you?
The New Colombo Plan is an initiative of the Australian Government that allows students to complete up to 18 months of study or internship across Asia. It’s designed to build Australia’s connections with our neighbours on a people-to-people and institutional level, and develop the idea of Indo-Pacific travel as a rite of passage for Australian students.
I’ll be travelling to Singapore for my studies, and I’m hoping to visit China and some ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) as well. I’ll be finishing my Maths and Economics degree at NUS in Singapore, and also taking a semester of immersion in Chinese. I’m really passionate about economic development, and Singapore is a dynamic hub that plays a critical role in the development of the ASEAN region. So, I’m trying to make the most of this and find internships that allow me to learn more about the field with a hands-on approach.
What do you hope to achieve?
I love economics because it’s all about how people make hard decisions, and it provides a lot of insight into which policies help countries and which policies hold countries back. I hope that in the future I can work in this space, but in which capacity I’m not sure yet. I’m hoping to do further study in Economics later in life.
What’s been your most memorable experience at St Cat’s?
St Cat’s is where I’ve met so many of my closest friends, so I think that would be the most memorable part of my experience. The college has made me think pretty critically about what I value and who I am, which has also been instrumental in getting me to where I am today.
What advice do you have for those applying for a scholarship?
Find people who have been awarded it before, and ask for their support. They’re normally happy to help. However, it’s important not to measure your success by what you are or aren’t awarded. Try and just focus on surrounding yourself with people you like and doing what you enjoy. An application is a chance to show how you create an impact with your passions and how the scholarship would help, so always start with that.
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