The Ministry of Unification in South Korea signed a memorandum of understanding last week with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the University of Technology Sydney’s English language provider, UTS:INSEARCH, to fund five full year scholarships every year for three years.

The three organisations will provide funding for the programme which will cover tuition at UTS: INSEARCH, medical care, textbooks and airline tickets.

“We believe it is important to assist these young Koreans, who have already overcome many challenges in their early life, to build brighter futures and careers by helping them to improve their English skills,” said UTS:INSEARCH’s managing director, Alex Murphy.

“We believe it is important to assist these young Koreans, who have already overcome many challenges in their early life”

“The Sydney-based Korean community and the University of Technology Sydney have been extremely supportive of international students coming to study at UTS:INSEARCH, and we know future scholarship recipients will be warmly welcomed.”

Recipients, who must be North Koreans living in South Korea, will be selected by DFAT and the Ministry of Unification. Selection criteria and the date of first intake haven’t been announced yet, but a UTS:INSEARCH spokesperson said they expect the programme to start towards the end of the year.

The scholarship follows a UTS:INSEARCH pilot programme, which has seen several former North Korean students study English Language at the college supported by the Sydney Korean community.

Other programmes around the worldexist to support study abroad opportunities for North Korean students including the Work, English, Study, Travel in the United States and funding for study in Germany through the “Trust-building Process on the Korean Peninsula”.