Scholarships and Connections: Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, 1960-2010

For over fifty years Australia has welcomed students from Indonesia and Papua New Guinea to study at our tertiary institutions on government scholarships. An important premise behind the scholarship program has been the hope that the connections with Australia developed by these students will be long-lasting and mutually beneficial to Australia and partner governments. The research project ‘Scholarships and Connections’ investigates the life stories and experiences of students from Indonesia and Papua New Guinea who were sponsored for Australian-based tertiary study from 1950s-2010. By recording the personal experiences of scholarship recipients and investigating their networks of influence, this research deepens our understanding of scholarship programs and whether or not they produce outcomes that are consistent with the objective of building mutually beneficial linkages between Australia and partner countries. It examines whether the outcomes are enduring or change over time. The project is especially interested in the experiences of former scholarship-holders in positions of leadership and any networks and ongoing connections they have with Australia. This research provides a better understanding of the personal and professional networks of scholarship alumni, and encourages the sharing of experiences. The interviews will be permanently retained in appropriate repositories and drawn on for use in biographies, radio and television programs, internet applications and educational curricula for schools and leadership programs. This research promotes the values of historical research and scholarship among Indonesians and Papua New Guineans and points to the value of oral testimony from past and recent generations of mobile students for current generations facing important challenges and choices.

五十余年来，澳大利亚始终通过政府奖学金项目，招收来自印度尼西亚与巴布亚新几内亚的学生赴本国高等院校（tertiary institutions）深造。该奖学金项目的一项重要核心初衷，是期许这些学生与澳大利亚建立的联结能够长久存续，并为澳大利亚及各合作国政府带来互利共赢的成果。本研究项目“奖学金与联结”（Scholarships and Connections）旨在调查1950年代至2010年间获资助赴澳接受高等教育的印度尼西亚与巴布亚新几内亚学生的生平事迹与成长经历。本研究通过记录奖学金获得者的个人经历，探究其影响力网络，以此深化学界对奖学金项目的认知，并探讨此类项目是否能够达成“在澳大利亚与合作国之间构建互利联结”的既定目标，同时进一步考察这些项目的成果是否具有持久性，抑或会随时间推移发生演变。该项目尤其关注往届奖学金获得者担任领导职务的经历，以及他们与澳大利亚之间尚存的各类人脉网络与持续维系的联结。本研究旨在进一步增进对奖学金校友个人与职业人脉网络的了解，并推动相关经验的分享与传播。所有访谈内容都将永久留存于合规的档案库（repositories）中，并可被援引用于传记创作、广播电视节目制作、互联网应用开发，以及中小学与领导力培训项目的教育课程（curricula）编制。本研究旨在向印度尼西亚与巴布亚新几内亚民众宣扬历史研究与学术研究的价值，并指出：对于当下面临诸多重要挑战与抉择的新一代而言，过往及当代流动学生的口述证言（oral testimony）具有重要的参考价值。