Monash University Awards First ASEAN Scholarship to Cambodian Student

Monita Piseth from Phnom Penh is among the first students to receive a Vice-Chancellor’s ASEAN Award to study at Monash University’s Australian campuses. The new scholarship provides financial support to high-achieving students from across Southeast Asia to study at the University. Monita has lived in Phnom Penh all her life. After hearing stories over the years from family friends whose children had studied at Monash, she’s very excited about the opportunity to move to Australia. “My Mum is such a huge inspiration to me,” said Monita. “She’s run her own company in the health and medicine sector for a long time, and I’m excited to hopefully follow in her footsteps and run my own similar venture,” she added. The award will support Monita’s studies towards a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Science in 2026. “The science facilities at Monash are great, and the campus is massive. I’ve been really excited to wander around it, and meet people from very different backgrounds,” she shared. The scholarship is a gamechanger for Monita’s large family. “There’s a few of us to support, so this scholarship eases the financial burden. Australia is also relatively close so hopefully some of my family can visit me,” she explained. The Monash University Vice-Chancellor’s ASEAN Awards is an AUD$2.5 million investment in high-achieving undergraduate students from across the region, designed to ease the cost of study through tuition fee reduction, relocation assistance and funding for other associated costs. Students are selected through a competitive process, with eligibility across Cambodia, Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Since the announcement of the program in mid-2025, the University has committed a further AUD$1 million to the ASEAN Pathway Awards, which supports high-achieving ASEAN students to enrol in Monash College, a pathway institution that provides programmes like diplomas and foundation years to help students transition into the University. Monash University Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Sharon Pickering, said Monita’s story encapsulates why Monash is committed to providing accessible world-class education to our regional neighbours. “The ASEAN Awards are more than just financial support – the programme is about recognising potential, nurturing ambition and creating opportunities for students who will go on to make meaningful contributions in their communities and beyond,” she explained. “It’s also about enriching our campuses with the diverse perspectives and energy that students like Monita bring with them,” she added. Around 10 per cent of Monash’s first cohort of students in 1961 were from overseas, mostly from Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. With more than 16,000 ASEAN students currently enrolled, and almost 60,000 ASEAN alumni, the awards reflect Monash’s deep and sustained ties to the region. These enduring ties have recently seen Monash College establish a pathway partnership with BELTEI International University in Cambodia to deliver the Monash University Foundation Year programme in 2026. The internationally recognised pre-university programme helps students develop their English proficiency and study skills, and explore subjects aligned to a future course. Upon completion, students with required academic entry scores have direct access to undergraduate studies at any Monash University campus including Australia, Malaysia and Indonesia. “Southeast Asia is a vibrant and dynamic region, rich in cultural diversity and talent. At Monash, we’re deeply committed to empowering the next generation of leaders and innovators from ASEAN countries, and to fostering a more inclusive, collaborative future across our region,” Professor Pickering said. Monash has long pursued a purposeful engagement with Asia, with campuses in Malaysia and Indonesia, locations in China and India, and a growing alumni and research network across the ASEAN region. Ranking 31st in the 2027 QS World University Rankings, it has consistently led in education mobility, partnerships and student recruitment in the Indo-Pacific.