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.