Australian ambassador Derek Yip met with Cambodian scholars to congratulate them on being provisionally selected for the 2026 intake of the Australia Awards Scholarships (AAS). 55 students have been selected, more than half of them women, and six people with disabilities.
“An investment in a high-quality education for Cambodia’s best and brightest will generate significant development benefits for the nation,” said Yip, during an induction day, held at the Institute of Foreign languages at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, on October 3.
According to an embassy press release, five of the awardees received scholarships through the Mekong Australia Partnership program. The new batch will join the almost 1,100 Cambodians who have studied in Australia under the Australia Awards and the various Australian scholarship programs that preceded it.
“As Cambodia prepares for graduation from Least Developed Country Status and pursues economic diversification, increased foreign investment, strong and sustainable growth and global competitiveness, a strong investment in human capital is essential. Australia is supporting Cambodia in this endeavour,” said Yip.
“The 2026 intake reflects the growing inclusiveness of the programme. More than half of the awardees are women and 24 percent of awardees received support through the Equity Pathways Program, including six awardees with disabilities. The number of government awardees has increased to 36 percent and 18 percent for the provincial awardees this year,” he added.
According to the embassy, the 55 new intakes will pursue postgraduate degrees in Australia in diverse fields of study including public policy, robotics and artificial intelligence, biomedical science, rehabilitation and mental health, data science, engineering science, environment, education, peace and conflict, and law.
“These areas reflect Cambodia’s development priorities and Australia’s commitment to supporting the country’s sustainable and inclusive growth,” it said.
The Australia Awards Scholarships embodies a strategic, enduring commitment to Cambodia’s development. By empowering rising leaders with elite expertise, global connections and mutual principles, the initiative advances creativity, fortifies key organisations and fosters deeper collaborations between Australia and Cambodia, said the release.
