The idea of relational human-centred diplomacy, in the context of international education, learning abroad and scholarships, is a new concept that will be introduced by Professor Ly Tran, from the School of Education at Deakin University, at next week’s Australian International Education Conference (AIEC) in Canberra.
The concept, says Tran, “goes beyond nation-state interests only, to regional engagement and regional connection, and also the humanisation of international education and humanisation of public diplomacy”.
In the session, Learning abroad and scholarships: driving our public diplomacy and regional relationship-building, Tran will highlight the opportunities for greater reciprocity and relationship building between Australia and the Indo-Pacific.
This includes recognising the perspectives and interests of Indo-Pacific countries and host communities, rather than viewing these programs solely through a one-sided, ‘soft power’ lens focused on increasing national influence.
She’ll be joined on the panel by Elena Williams, Advisor, Australia Awards Indonesia and Gabriel Garcia Ochoa, Director of the Global Immersion Guarantee, Monash University. The discussion will be chaired by Linda Rust, IEAA Learning Abroad Network Convener and Manager, Global Learning at The University of Melbourne.
Williams will share insights from Indonesia on how the New Colombo Plan (NCP) and Australia Awards programs can more meaningfully engage host communities. Ochoa will explore the student experience in Monash’s Global Immersion Guarantee and how students can build bridges between Australia and host countries in the Indo-Pacific.
For Tran, these ideas build on a long-standing research interest. In August, she published a new book with Deakin colleagues Dr Huyen Bui and Dr Diep Thi Bich Nguyen, titled Australian Student Mobility to the Indo-Pacific Through the New Colombo Plan: Impacts, Challenges, and Regional Engagement.
Their research explores Australian students’ engagement and learning in the Indo-Pacific through the NCP, highlighting how education and public diplomacy intersect through student mobility. The book examines the experiences, tensions, and impacts of Australian student mobility for individuals and societies, while addressing key issues such as geopolitics, equity and access, and Global North–South dynamics. It is available through open access here.
To learn more about this fascinating topic, attend the Learning abroad and scholarships: driving our public diplomacy and regional relationship-building session at AIEC on Wednesday, 15 October from 11.40am-12.40pm in the Swan Room.
You can access the full AIEC program here.
