Katherine Flint has been intrigued by the law of the sea since she first heard about it in her International Law (LAWS6250) course at The Australian National University (ANU) College of Law. 

Now in her fourth year of a Bachelor of Law (Hon)/International Relations degree, Katherine is set to pursue this interest through the New Colombo Plan (NCP) scholarship program.

The NCP program is a government initiative that aims to expand knowledge of the Indo-Pacific in Australia by supporting undergraduate students to study and undertake internships in the region.

As an NCP scholar, Katherine will be studying at the National University of Singapore (NUS), focusing on international law and law of the sea electives.

“I wanted to investigate the legal implications of issues such as rising sea levels, disputes in the South China Sea, maritime plastics, and sustainable use of marine resources,” Katherine said.

“The NCP was the perfect opportunity to acquire a strong legal foundation of the issue through study at NUS, while enriching my thinking in a hands-on setting via an internship with a maritime law organisation in New Caledonia.

“I’ll also be undertaking language training to pick up some Mandarin.”

Katherine was originally encouraged to apply for the scholarship by a family friend who had previously travelled to Myanmar as an NCP scholar.

“The more I looked into the opportunity, the more I realised what a unique program the New Colombo Plan is – scholars are fully supported in their endeavours to investigate and research unique fields of study,” Katherine said.

“I was equally drawn to the NCP scholarship for the opportunity to forge connections with like-minded young people across the Asia-Pacific, experience new cultures, and immerse myself in a new environment.”

Katherine was incredibly excited when she found out that her scholarship application had been successful.

“It had been such a long road to get to the end of the application process,” Katherine explained.

“As cheesy as it sounds, I was happy that the dream had finally become a reality.

“I was also eager to meet the other NCP scholars from around Australia and hear about everyone’s programs, as I knew we would have a very diverse mix of people!”

Born and raised in Canberra, Katherine is looking forward to immersing herself in a new culture.

“I look forward to a different climate, new friends, and learning from a new perspective,” she said.

“Like most people I absolutely love food, so getting to devour delicious Singaporean cuisine daily is also up there on the list of things I’m most looking forward to!”

Katherine also hopes the experience will expand her knowledge of the Indo-Pacific, specifically in regards to international law and law of the sea.

“I’m hoping my program will connect me with leaders across a range of fields who I’ll cross paths with again in my career: in academia (at NUS), in international law (via my internship), and in civil society (living in Singapore and New Caledonia),” Katherine said.  

“The NCP program will also be invaluable in understanding the day-to-day impacts of sea-level rise – most international lawyers don’t have time to devote three months of their year to living in the Pacific, so I’m excited to take away a new and unique perspective I’ll be able to share back in Australia.”