Abstract

The New Colombo Plan (NCP) program was launched by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) in 2014. It aims to enhance Australia’s public diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific region, whilst sending Australian students to learn in various countries, including Indonesia More than 2,000 Australian students have been studying in Indonesia under the NCP scheme, however, little is known about how this opportunity is improving Australia’s public diplomacy in its nearest neighbour. Using survey and interview approaches, this paper examines the experiences of Australian students in conducting the NCP program in Indonesia between 2018 and 2020. The findings suggest that students have excellent experience during their time in Indonesia, and the program has been instrumental in improving Australia’s public diplomacy in Indonesia.

Keywords

New Colombo Plan, experience, Indonesia, public diplomacy, Australia.