First Nations fellow selected for New Colombo Plan scholarship

The students will be supported by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to undertake one or two semesters of university study and an internship across 6 Indo-Pacific countries, including Japan, Singapore and China. 

Kayla Baker-Peris is a proud Yolngu, Yawuru and Kidja woman and fourth-year student at UTS studying a Bachelor of Communication and Bachelor of International Studies. As part of her selection as the 2026 First Nations fellow, Kayla will play a strong leadership role in promoting First Nations engagement and participation with NCP. 

“I see my Japan exchange as a two-way journey driven by my passion for learning from and experiencing other cultures, as well as an opportunity for sharing the Aboriginal experience, customs and culture with an international audience,” Kayla said. 

The New Colombo Plan marked 10 years in 2024 and has supported over 55,000 Australian undergraduate students to study, intern and language train in the Indo-Pacific. The 2026 round is the first in the program’s “next phase”, earmarked for significant reforms by Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong in July 2025. The reforms will place greater emphasis on language learning, longer-term immersive experiences and stronger business engagement with universities. 

UTS 2026 New Colombo Plan Scholars 

• Kayla Baker-Peris - Bachelor of Communication (Digital and Social Media) Bachelor of International Studies, 2026 First Nations fellow, Japan.
• Leo Chau - Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) Bachelor of Laws, Hong Kong. 
• Joshua Chelashaw - Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) Bachelor of Business, Singapore. 
• Michael Farah - Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) Bachelor of Laws, Hong Kong. 
• Lucia Guo - Bachelor of Communication (Media Arts and Production) Bachelor of International Studies, China.
• Nina Jayengrani - Bachelor of Communication (Media Arts and Production) Bachelor of International Studies, Japan.
• Isabel Martins - Bachelor of Psychology (Honours), Thailand.
• Emily Rutten - Bachelor of Medical Science Bachelor of International Studies, China.
• Noussayba Skendri - Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) Diploma in Professional Engineering Practice, Singapore.
• Alexander Socratous - Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) Bachelor of Laws, Japan.
• Andy Vu - Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) Diploma in Professional Engineering Practice, Singapore. 
• Amelia Wilson-Williams - Bachelor of Communication (Social and Political Sciences) Bachelor of Laws, Indonesia.