Australia Awards Mekong-Australia Partnership

5 February 2025

Australia Awards Mekong-Australia Partnership

Australia Awards Scholarships are prestigious international awards offered by the Australian Government to the next generation of local, national and global leaders. Through study and research, recipients develop the skills and knowledge to drive change and help build enduring people-to-people links with Australia.

At the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in March 2024, the Minister for Foreign Affairs announced a further five-year commitment to support the resilience and prosperity of the Mekong subregion through the Mekong-Australia Partnership (MAP). MAP aims to support a resilient and inclusive Mekong subregion that pursues joint solutions to shared and transboundary challenges.

From 2026, MAP will fund additional Australia Awards Scholarships for Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar at postgraduate (Master’s) level to undertake coursework or research in MAP thematic areas. 

If you are a Thai professional and want to make a difference in the Mekong subregion, this is a chance for you to study in Australia.

Deadline: 30 April 2025

Level of study:

MAP-funded scholarships provide an opportunity for citizens of Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar to obtain a Master’s by research or Master’s by coursework qualification at an Australian tertiary institution.

Award benefits:

The MAP-funded scholarship benefits remain the same as the Australia Awards program with additional exclusive access to on-award enrichment, through the Mekong-Leaders Network.

Scholarship recipients will receive the following:

  • return air travel;
  • a one-off establishment allowance on arrival;
  • full tuition fees;
  • contribution to living expenses;
  • introductory academic program;
  • overseas student health cover for the duration of the scholarship;
  • supplementary academic support;
  • fieldwork allowance for research students and masters by coursework which has a compulsory fieldwork component; and
  • all costs associated with the on-award enrichment program: the Mekong Leaders Network.

MAP Thematic and Priority Areas of Study:

Water Security

  • Water resources and sustainable management
  • Catchment science
  • Integrated water management
  • Hydrology/Hydrogeology
  • Aquaculture
  • Fisheries

Climate Action

  • Climate/environmental adaptation and resilience
  • Renewable energy
  • Sustainable development
  • Rural development
  • Disaster management
  • Forest and wildlife conservation
  • Natural resource management
  • Infrastructure and transport
  • Mineral resources
  • Environmental management
  • Sustainable agriculture and food stability
  • Sustainable tourism
  • Construction management

Transnational Crime

  • International/criminal law
  • Criminology
  • Prosecution and Judicial system
  • Maritime security/sustainability
  • Criminal Law Digital and Forensic Science

Economic Resilience and Subregional Integration

  • Economics
  • Economic governance
  • Agricultural economics
  • International trade
  • Agribusiness
  • Public financial management
  • Food science and technology
  • Logistics and supply chain management
  • Regional stability
  • Critical technology
  • AI and robotics
  • Digital transformation
  • Digital communication
  • Information technology
  • Multi-media communication
  • Entrepreneurship and innovation
  • Hospitality management
  • Quality and standard management
  • Construction and infrastructure management
  • Public administration and policy

Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI)

  • Gender studies
  • Disability policy and practices
  • Disability service
  • Human rights, gender-based health care
  • Social work
  • Social policy and social protection

Eligibility:

All Australia Awards applicants must meet all eligibility requirements outlined in the Australia Awards Scholarships Policy Handbook, as detailed below.

To be eligible to receive an Australia Awards Scholarship, applicants must:

  • be a minimum of 18 years of age on 1 February of the year of commencing the scholarship;
  • be a citizen of a participating country (as listed on the Australia Awards website) and be residing in and applying for the scholarship from their country of citizenship;
  • not be a citizen of Australia, hold permanent residency in Australia or be applying for a visa to live in Australia permanently;
  • not be married to, engaged to, or a de facto of a person who holds, or is eligible to hold, Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency, at any time during the application, selection and mobilisation phases (note: residents of Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau with New Zealand citizenship are eligible but must apply for a Student visa [subclass 500]);
  • not be current serving military personnel;
  • not have previously received a long-term Australia Award in the previous four years);
  • not hold convictions of criminal activities (including in their home country) including those relating to Child Protection and PSEAH;
  • have satisfied any specific criteria established by the Program Area or the government of the applicant’s country of citizenship (e.g. having worked a certain number of years in an appropriate sector);
  • be able to satisfy the admission requirements of the institution at which the award is to be undertaken (this may mean that Program Areas will need to withdraw an award offer if the recipient cannot satisfy the institution’s admission requirements. This may not be known until Program Areas request a placement at selected institutions);
  • be able to satisfy all requirements of the Department of Home Affairs to hold a Student Visa. This may mean that the Program Area will need to withdraw an award offer if the recipient cannot satisfy the visa requirements;
  • not be applying for a scholarship for a course of study at an academic level lower than already achieved (e.g. be applying for a Master’s scholarship when they already hold a PhD); and
  • applicants must inform the Program Area of any connection or relationship to staff employed at Program Areas (including locally engaged staff at post) or with managing contractors so that the application may be properly and transparently managed.

Country-specific conditions for Thailand:

In addition to the eligibility requirements, candidates from Thailand must also meet the following conditions:

  • be a citizen of Thailand, with no dual or additional citizenship,
  • be a resident in Thailand for a period of 24 months as at 30 April 2025 (i.e. the day applications close) other than for short absences related to employment, professional development or holidays,
  • have at least 24 months’ full-time (or part-time equivalent) work experience as at 30 April 2025,
  • declare all previous study undertaken irrespective of whether it is complete or incomplete or undertaken within Thailand or another country,
  • provide all the required supporting documents listed in Table 1, and
  • in most cases, the applicant must hold a Bachelor’s degree, considered equivalent to an Australian Bachelor degree.

In addition, Master’s level applicants must have an English language proficiency of:

  • an Academic IELTS result with an overall score of at least 6.5, with no band less than 6.0, or
  • an internet-based TOEFL score of at least 84, with a minimum of 21 in all subtests, or
  • PTE Academic overall score of 58 with no communicative skill score less than 50.

The English Language Test results must be valid on 1 January of the year in which the awardee is commencing studies in Australian. No other English language test (including TOEFL prediction test) results will be accepted.

English Language Test results are not required if:

  • English was the language of instruction for your undergraduate degree, or
  • you completed over five years of study in one of the following English-speaking countries: Australia, UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, or the Republic of Ireland.

Master’s by Research applicants must provide an Unconditional Letter of Offer from the intended Australian University and two referee reports (please refer to the ‘Supporting documents’ section below).

The application process:

Online applications

All applications must be lodged online through the Online Australia Scholarships Information System.

Supporting documents

Applicants must submit all the relevant supporting documents listed in the Australia Awards Scholarships Policy Handbook.

Applicants must also provide the following documents to meet the specific requirements for Thailand:

For more information: