Australian Development Scholarship (ADS)

Background

The Australian Government has been providing scholarships to Indonesia for study in Australia since the 1950s. The program currently offers over 300 scholarships each year at the postgraduate level to Indonesians in both the public and private sectors.

Description

The ADS Program provides scholarships for Indonesians to acquire relevant knowledge, skills and qualifications to strengthen their capacity to contribute to development in Indonesia.

In addition to building human resource capacity, the ADS program also offers the experience of study in Australia and builds strong people to people links.

The program provides an equal number of scholarships to men and women, and 30 per cent of scholarships are offered to candidates from Indonesia's less developed provinces, where access to high quality education is limited.

Scholarships are offered in fields of development priority for Indonesia as agreed annually by the Australian and Indonesian governments. These fields include economic management, democratic institutions and practice, basic social services, and security and stability.

Scholarships are awarded on the principles of merit and equity. The program also takes into account several development objectives. Selection is undertaken by an independent team of Australian and Indonesian academics.

The ADS Alumni Association is a chapter under the national association for Indonesian graduates of Australian educational institutions, IKAMA. This network is open for all current and former AusAID scholarship holders. The website for the association is www.idp.com/adsjakarta/returnedstudents [external site].

Applications for the 2009 intake will open in June 2008.

Achievements

The ADS program demonstrates the Australian Government's strong commitment to supporting Indonesia in achieving sustainable development. Over 10,000 ADS scholarships have been awarded to Indonesians since the 1950s and significant numbers of ADS alumni are currently in influential positions in government, universities and the private sector, making significant contributions to national development and driving Indonesian reform priorities.

Note: If you wish to apply for a scholarship to study in Australia, please visit the ADS website [external site] for detailed information. Inquiries on ADS should be e-mailed directly to info@adsjakarta.or.id.

Further information on Australian Development Scholarships you may also visit www.australianscholarships.gov.au [external site].

Australian Leadership Awards (ALA)

ALA is a 5-year regional program launched in May 2006 that is designed to promote leadership within the Asia Pacific region, including Indonesia, by helping existing and emerging leaders to develop their skills, knowledge, and networks. ALA consists of both Scholarship and Fellowship programs.

ALA Scholarships are academically prestigious awards offered to high achievers from the Asia-Pacific region to undertake postgraduate study (Masters or Doctorate) and a leadership training program in Australia. Priority areas for ALA Scholarships include international trade, security, pandemics, and climate change (including clean energy). The next application round opens in April 2008 for studies commencing in 2009.

ALA Fellowships offers short term study, research and professional development activities in Australia for fellows from the Asia-Pacific region, including Indonesia. The program aims to develop current and aspiring leaders in priority areas who will be in a position to address current and emerging issues at the national and regional level. Applications open twice annually for Australian organisations to host fellows from the Asia-Pacific region.

Further information on Australian Leadership Awards is available at www.australianscholarships.gov.au or email: ala@ausaid.gov.au.

This page was last updated on 22 February 2008

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