Australiahas announced the ASEAN-Australia Defence Scholarship for 10 scholars fromASEAN member nations, including Vietnam, to complete a two-year ‘Master ofStrategic Studies’ Post-graduates degree in Australia. 

Vietnamese officers in a training course in Australia - Source: the Australian Embassy in Vietnam

The announcement was made atthe ASEAN-Australia Special Summit which took place in Sydney, Australia, fromMarch 17-18. 

Starting 2019, the programmewill fund one representative from each ASEAN member nation and one Australian scholar.

“This programme will be thefirst of its kind for ASEAN defence officials, which  will see ASEAN’s andAustralia’s best and brightest working together to share their experiences anddevelop their strategic thinking”, said Senator the Hon Marise Payne,Australian Minister for Defence. 

Colonel Nerolie McDonald,Australian Defence Attaché to Vietnam, said Australia commenced the DefenceCooperation Programme with Vietnam in 1999. Since then, Australia has providedmore than 2,000 training positions for Vietnamese defence personnel, includingdefence scholarships in Australia and Vietnam.

McDonald expressed hisbelief that personnel from the Vietnam People’s Army will seek to take up thisopportunity. 

“Vietnamese Defence studentsare outstanding performers in our Defence Cooperation Programme courses and Iknow they will do well again in this programme”, he said.

According to the AustralianEmbassy in Vietnam, more details of the scholarship will be announced in thecoming months through the Australian Defence Attaché Office in Vietnam.

Source:VNA