In a weeks’ time, I will be travelling to Malaysia with 11 other Flinders students to participate in the New Colombo Plan program, Investigating the History, Culture, Politics, and Science and Technology Capability of Malaysia. The program, which goes for 3 weeks, is run by the National University of Malaysia (UKM). For 2 weeks we will be staying on the campus of UKM just outside Kuala Lumpur and for 1 week at the Research centre on Langkawi.

I had always planned to travel overseas but expected it would be after completing my studies. I’d received emails about the New Colombo Plan mobility grant but hadn’t realised I was eligible. However, after applications for this trip had closed, I noticed a post on FLO that 2 places had reopened and that I was actually eligible. Having the opportunity to travel overseas while studying would be amazing, so I put in an application and was lucky enough to be accepted.

This will be my first time travelling overseas and I am very excited about it. I can’t wait to experience another culture and meet new people. I expect, based on the blogs of the students who participated in the program last year, that this will be a once in a lifetime experience which I will never forget.

Jessica Aylmore, Bachelor of Science (Chemical Sciences) student, participating in “Investigating the history, culture, politics, and science and technology capability of  Malaysia” funded by the New Colombo Plan in January 2018