Westpac Fellowship Redefines Leadership Development Programmes for Australian Students Engaging with Asia

The Westpac Scholars Trust is announcing the most important change to its long-term support for Australia’s budding leaders. The Australia-Asia Fellowship is established as a scholarship that will enhance regional engagement and Asia-capability amongst the best high-potential students. This is a dramatic shift from its previous model, which was the much older Asia Exchange Scholarship. It has allowed more than 300 undergraduates to conduct study abroad in Australia’s neighbouring region since 2015, funded with more than $4 million.

The Fellowship is to be launched in 2026 and was adopted after a strategic review of the program on Asia Exchange and insights from the impact report by the Trust entitled Creating a Stronger Australia Together. According to Westpac Scholars Trust, this new model has captured a broader and inclusive approach to international education programs, consistent with the evolution of Australia’s foreign policy and regional partnerships.

Ms Amy Lyden, CEO of the Westpac Foundation & Scholars Trust, emphasised that the Fellowship is designed to support scholars through education, research, cultural leadership, and regional connections. She noted that as Australia’s engagement with Asia continues to grow, so too must the approach to preparing future leaders. An offering under the Australia Scholarship now includes a 9-month bespoke leadership development programme co-designed with the University of Tasmania, in which Fellows will participate in two week-long residential experiences across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam, alongside online modules and workshops that enhance Asia-capability. They will also gain lifelong access to the Westpac 100 Network (W100), a community of practice across the Trust’s five programmes, including the Future Leaders Fellowship Australia.

Eligibility criteria require applicants to be Australian citizens or permanent residents, enrolled full-time at one of 14 Australian universities for international students during their Fellowship year. They must have completed a study abroad Australia experience or internship in the Asia-Pacific region and hold at least a credit average. Applications close at 5:00 pm AEDT on Tuesday, 9 December 2025.

Mr Sam Wall, Asian Exchange Program Lead and W100 Alumni Manager, described the Fellowship as a game-changer. He highlighted that the programme equips scholars with cross-cultural communication skills and leadership tools essential for navigating the complexities of Australia’s place in Asia. The initiative also expands the eligible countries from six priority nations to 38 across the Asia-Pacific, reflecting Australia’s diverse trade, education, and diplomatic ties. The Fellowship, valued at $16,000, covers the bulk of an established program. This includes travel, accommodation, logistics, and meals. Both undergraduates and postgraduates may apply for this unique opportunity to build on prior international experience and add to higher education and leadership in Australia.

Investing in culturally agile leaders, Westpac Scholars Trust continues to answer the question of what is Westpac Scholars Trust program offers in Australia and how Westpac fellowships support nascent leaders in Australia. This also brings about an evident pathway as to how one wins their Australian scholarship for leadership development, while reaffirming the long-term productive benefits of studying abroad in Australia for international students. This initiative is not just education-it is about preparing a generation of Australians who will lead with insight, empathy, and regional awareness in an increasingly interconnected world.

Editor’s Note:

The advent of the Westpac Fellowships for Australia-Asia marks the demarcation in the history of international education in Australia. The Asia Exchange Scholarship is not just being reasserted; it is rethinking how Australia gets its young leaders to relate meaningfully with the Asia-Pacific region. The Fellowship, in any case, is a pretty clear evolution in development strategy away from the traditional short-term exchange model to one which is more immersed and designed more formally in leadership development through co-design with the University of Tasmania. Investing in this generation of culturally agile Australians equipped with purposefully meaningful and regionally perceptive leadership is what the Trust has done in proposing a 9-month program that includes residential experiences across four highly recognised Asian nations-including online learning and getting access to the Westpac 100 Network.

It becomes a notably inclusive initiative. Australian universities are 14 inclusive for undergrad and postgrad students, but require prior experience with the Asia-Pacific region. That diversifies participation while allowing Fellows to build on foundations already laid, thereby deepening their regional understanding. One of the most important other developments in the transition from six priority countries to 38 eligible countries.  As its growing diplomatic, trade, and educational ties with Australia show, the Fellowship is a timely answer to such an increase in the specificities of overseas policies for the country. Hence, the Westpac Scholars Trust aligns its training investment on the lines of national intelligibility really pragmatic and visionary disposition. This is much more than a scholarship, though. It is a long-term commitment toward developing the leaders who will be able to understand the complexities of Australia's place in the region. It encourages not only academic excellence but also cross-cultural competence, strategic thinking, and collaborative spirit-parts that are necessary in this highly globalised world that demands connection, empathy, and informed leadership.

Skoobuzz underlines that this sets a new standard on the way Australian scholarships can be used to develop leaders in the context of international education programs serving national prosperity. This is such a prototype for others to study and copy, where states are possible.

FAQs

Q1. What is the Westpac Scholars Trust programme in Australia?

The Westpac Scholars Trust is a long-term philanthropic initiative that awards 100 scholarships annually to support emerging Australian leaders. It focuses on leadership development, international engagement, and building a strong scholar network across five key programmes, including the newly launched Australia-Asia Fellowship.

Q2. What is the Westpac Australia-Asia Fellowship, and how is it different from the Asia Exchange Scholarship?

The Australia-Asia Fellowship is a redesigned scholarship programme launching in 2026. It replaces the Asia Exchange Scholarship, which has supported over 300 undergraduates since 2015. The new Fellowship offers a broader, more inclusive model that supports both undergraduate and postgraduate students through immersive leadership development and regional engagement across the Asia-Pacific.

Q3. How does the Westpac Fellowship support emerging Australian leaders?

The Fellowship provides a 9-month bespoke leadership development programme co-designed with the University of Tasmania. It includes two week-long residential experiences in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam, online modules, and access to the Westpac 100 Network (W100). Scholars gain skills in cross-cultural communication, regional awareness, and strategic leadership.

Q4. What are the eligibility criteria for the Australia-Asia Fellowship?

Applicants must:

• Be an Australian citizen or a permanent resident

• Be enrolled full-time at one of 14 participating Australian universities during their Fellowship year

• Hold or have completed a degree with at least a credit average

• Have completed a study abroad or internship programme in the Asia-Pacific

• Be available to attend the Westpac Scholars Summit and two residential leadership programmes

Q5. How to apply for Australian scholarships for leadership development through Westpac?

Eligible students can apply online via the Westpac Scholars Trust website. Applications for the 2026 Fellowship close at 5:00 pm AEDT on Tuesday, 9 December 2025. An online information session will be held on 25 November to guide prospective applicants.

Q6. Which Australian universities partner with Westpac Scholars Trust?

The Fellowship is open to students from 14 leading Australian universities. These institutions are part of a strategic partnership with the Trust to deliver high-impact leadership development programmes and support higher education and leadership in Australia.

Q7. What are the benefits of studying abroad in Australia for international students within this programme?

While the Fellowship is for Australian citizens and permanent residents, it builds on prior study abroad Australia experiences in the Asia-Pacific. It enhances the value of international education by offering further leadership training, regional immersion, and access to a lifelong professional network.

Q8. What is the value of the Fellowship, and what does it cover?

The Fellowship is valued at $16,000 and covers most programme-related costs, including airfares, accommodation, logistics, meals, and learning materials. Fellows may incur minor incidental expenses.

Q9. How does the Fellowship align with Australia’s foreign policy and regional priorities?

The programme reflects Australia’s growing diplomatic, trade, and educational ties across Asia. It expands eligible countries from six to 38, aligning with national interests and reinforcing Australia’s commitment to regional prosperity and collaboration.

Q10. What is the Westpac 100 Network (W100) and how does it support Fellows? 

The W100 is a community of practice that connects scholars across all five Westpac programmes. It offers lifelong access to mentoring, networking, and leadership opportunities, including attendance at the annual Westpac Scholars Summit.

Q11. What are the long-term goals of the Australia-Asia Fellowship?

The Fellowship aims to build a pipeline of Asia-capable leaders who can navigate complex regional challenges. It supports Australia’s future prosperity by investing in talent that understands the cultural, economic, and geopolitical dynamics of the Asia-Pacific.