NCP Scholar in Hong Kong and India

“The NCP program is a fantastic opportunity to experience different cultures.”

Claire Gimble, NCP Scholar 2022

I applied for the NCP Scholarship as I was interested in international exchange experiences, particularly in Asia. I wanted the opportunity to both study and work overseas so I could learn more about different cultures and improve my intercultural communication skills. Furthermore the NCP provides a unique opportunity and platform to connect with industry and universities in different regions.

My primary host location was Hong Kong which is where I completed my exchange. I had originally planned to complete an internship in Hong Kong and Japan. However, due to covid delays to my program I ended up completing a 6-week internship in India with Infosys.

Prior to the program, NCP scholars are connected in Canberra as part of the NCP summit. One day was focused on engaging in current issues affecting the indo-pacific, there was a training day where we received advice from alumni, finally a day to meet with representative from the consulate. The NCP summit was a fantastic opportunity to meet like-minded ambitious students. Having these connections was great throughout the NCP program, as we were able to share experiences and advice.

Interning in India

I began my program by interning in India. This was an amazing experience. This internship is not just focused on project work, but instead provided unique cultural learning experiences that could only be gained from living and working in India. I lived on the Infosys campus and had the opportunity to meet Infosys leaders including Infosys founders as of ‘Meet the Leader Sessions’ who provided invaluable insight and advice. I also participated in the Infosys Hackathon and as a finalist I had the opportunity to present my teams idea to Infosys founder Narayana Murthy.

On the weekend I was able to travel to different parts of India including Mumbai, Delhi, Jairpur, Hampi and Mysore. This was an excellent opportunity to experience different parts of India.

Hong Kong Polytechnic University

My study at Hong Kong Polytechnic was a great experience. Hong Kong has a fantastic natural and built environment. It has excellent night life, shopping, beaches, and hiking.

All exchange students at Hong Kong Polytechnic are provided with accommodation close to the university which is heavily subsidised. It was great to be part of a community of students living on campus, particularly as each floor had social committees that ran events, which was a great opportunity to meet with local students.

There can be a language barrier between local students and exchange students which can make it challenging to form relationships. If possible, I would recommend undertaking Cantonese language training prior to the study program to assist with forming these connections. Despite this, I enjoyed having discussions in class and outside of it with local students and was able to learn more about Hong Kong and share insight into Australia.  I participated in the Hong Kong Polytechnic exchange fair and shared advice for studying in Australia which many students were really interested in.

I developed great relationships with people during my NCP program. I continue to maintain these relationships back in Australia. I have continued to catch up with people I met during the Infosys internship, particularly Instep leaders which come and visit Australia periodically and host Infosys intern catchups. 

Following my program I had the opportunity to travel to different countries in South East Asia. I would recommend anyone undertaking exchange to use the opportunity to study both before and after their program.

The NCP program is a fantastic opportunity to experience different cultures.

My current role at Cochlear relies on me communicating with different regions and I have found it invaluable having this firsthand experience of adapting to a different culture. It also provided me with fantastic networks in the Asia pacific region that I will continue to foster throughout my career.

Claire Grimble
Bachelor of Engineering (Honours), Diploma of Professional Engineering Practice
Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Hong Kong

Find out more about the New Colombo Plan Scholarship Program!

For more information about the UTS Global Exchange program please visit: www.uts.edu.au/thinkglobal