The Australian government has expanded the New Colombo Plan, its programme to promote student mobility into Asia, and announced three new initiatives to increase opportunities for students in business.

As study-work policies fluctuate in key study destinations, internships are becoming an effective and popular way for students to gain valuable on-the-job experience. To varying degrees, countries and private providers are developing strategies to enhance the role of internships within study abroad and as a stand-alone international experience. Katie Duncan reports.

The Australian government has allocated AUS$16.5m of funding available to over 5,000 Australian students to support their study abroad experiences, enhance their future job prospects and help Australia build ties with overseas institutions, following an announcement this week by Minister for Education, Christopher Pyne.

Australia’s Prime Minister is keen to see “hundreds and thousands” of its students studying at Indian universities, he said at the launch of Australia’s Indo-Pacific study abroad initiative, the New Colombo Plan, in India this week. India will be one of 35 countries to welcome Australian undergraduates from 2015 through the programme.

All 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will join Australia’s New Colombo Plan, which funds undergraduates to study and do internships in the region, from 2015. The Australian government has committed AUS$100m to fund the project over the next five years, which Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says will build friendship and understanding "for generations to come".

On a trade mission to Asia this week, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott rolled out the government's outbound mobility programme, the New Colombo Plan, to Japan as part of a four nation pilot scheme. Japan and Australia also signed a landmark free trade agreement that will strengthen bilateral economic ties.

Four Asian countries have officially signed on to take part in the pilot of Australia's outbound mobility programme The New Colombo plan. This week the government and university sector have also launched a website aimed at providing Australian students with information on student mobility programmes and available financial aid.

As Australia positions itself to increase student mobility in the Asian century, a study has found that short-term study options, as opposed to semester-long, are important to encourage uptake of Asian study opportunities. An AUIDF report also reveals the USA is top of the list for outbound study.