Applications for the scholarship are open for students applying in the July intake this year.

The announcement comes as part of Deakin University’s initiative ‘Changing Lives’, which recognises deserving students with consistently high academic performance, who have potential to make a leading contribution to the University and their community in India.

Deakin has 28 years of engagement in India fostering collaborations across education and research, and launched this initiative in 2014 to support talented and dedicated students it has awarded 35 scholarships to date.

Professor Iain Martin, Vice-Chancellor of Deakin University said that Deakin was committed to supporting Indian students who had aspirations to pursue a high-quality international education.

“Over almost three decades, Deakin’s relationship with India has been a very successful one, achieving great outcomes for Indian students and their communities. This is a priority for us – helping students gain the skills that will make a real difference to their communities in India.”

“And we gain so much in return; our international students make wonderful contributions to the life of our University, and beyond graduation they join our thriving global alumni community.”

“Through the Vice-Chancellor’s Meritorious 100 per cent Scholarship program, we provide financial support to deserving students so they can focus on realising their full potential.”

Ravneet Pawha, Vice-President (Global Alliances) and CEO (South Asia) at Deakin added, “This announcement couldn’t have come at a better time. Both our countries’ prime ministers have recently emphasised the importance of education exchange in the light of the Free Trade Agreement.”

“With these scholarships, we aim to nurture future leaders who can make significant contributions in areas of science, technology, arts and more,” she said.

The selection for the Deakin Vice-Chancellor’s Meritorious Scholarship Program is a rigorous process consisting of application review, referee recommendations and interviews/presentations, including a panel interview with neutral representatives from academia and industry.  

Hritish Kakati, a Vice-Chancellor’s Meritorious Scholar in 2021, said, “I feel extremely privileged to have won the Deakin University Vice-Chancellor’s Meritorious 100 per cent scholarship last year.”

“Being a Vice-Chancellor’s scholar gave me the opportunity to be part of the Vice Chancellor’s Professional Excellence Program (VCPEP), wherein I can meet and interact with achievers from all over the world.”

Deakin University also offers other academic merit-based bursaries and scholarships for Indian students that include a 25 per cent Merit Scholarship and a 20 per cent Bursary for studies onshore in Australia. 

For more information about the Deakin University Vice-Chancellor’s Meritorious Scholarship Program 2022, and to check one’s eligibility to apply, please visit: deakinuniversity.in/vcscholars

Students may also email vcscholars@deakin.edu.au or call the Deakin South Asia Office, New Delhi on +91 11 2654 4725