Less than a month to depart to Malaysia and I could not be more excited. This trip will be the first time for me to cross the borders of Australia since I landed in it back in 2011, and it’s also the first time for me travelling overseas without my family, making this trip even more special and exciting.

The study program undertaken examines Malaysian history, culture and economic development. It also involves visiting sites of cultural significance and a road trip to Langkawi Research Center. The trip will be 3 weeks long, and I will be travelling with 9 other students from Flinders University.

I have always wanted to travel as a part of my study, and I have been aiming to do that when I do my Engineering Practicum in 2018. But when I received the E-mail asking for Expression of Interests for the New Colombo Plan to Malaysia, I knew that I had to apply. Malaysia has always been in my bucket list as a must visit country and I had to enhance my chance. Travelling while progressing through my degree seems like a dream that has come true.

I am really looking forward to this trip, to meet new people, to try new food, to be introduced to a different culture, and to learn and hopefully share my knowledge and give back. This trip will definitely mean a lot to me and hopefully be a positive experience that will stick with me for the rest of my life.

Waleed Al-Dabbas, Bachelor of Engineering (Biomedical) (Honours), Master of Engineering (Biomedical) student, participating in “Investigating the history, culture, politics, and science and technology capability of  Malaysia” in January 2017