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Achieving your career objective with a scholarship from ECU

ECU Engineering graduate, Ryan Bradley shares his study experience as a recipient of the New Colombo Plan (NCP) Scholarship, which gave him the opportunity to undertake internships across robotics and AI industries in Thailand, India and Japan.

Ryan Bradley stands against glass railing with a dense city in the background. Ryan Bradley

Edith Cowan University (ECU) knows that anyone can be a change-maker and a creative thinker of tomorrow.

All students have dreams and the potential to make them real, and regardless of personal circumstances we all have the right to life-changing education.

ECU offers a range of scholarships that are designed to enable students to pursue those dreams.

Scholarships are available to a wide range of students, some whose life journey may have been challenging and others for high achieving and ambitious students.

New Colombo Plan Scholarship

Ryan Bradley is one of those students. Ryan graduated from ECU in 2022 with a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechatronics) and was a recipient of the New Colombo Plan (NCP) Scholarship.

The NCP is a signature initiative of the Australian Government that aims to increase knowledge of the Indo-Pacific in Australia, by supporting Australian undergraduates to study up to one academic year and undertake internships in the region.

The NCP Scholarship gave Ryan the opportunity to gain international experience by undertaking internships across robotics and AI industries in Thailand, India, and Japan.

"I applied for NCP because it’s an exciting opportunity to develop my cross-cultural understanding, critical thinking, and worldwide network, to jumpstart my career as an engineer eager to solve significant global problems," Ryan said.

"Learning to live and study in Asia as a young Australian tested but strengthened my adaptability and perseverance, and I consider myself a wiser person because of my experience."

Growing your professional network

The NCP Scholarship had a profoundly positive impact on Ryan’s character, broadening his understanding of the world in a multitude of ways.

The Scholarship gave him the opportunity to experience different industry sectors, countries and cultures, and that has significantly progressed his career path.

"The NCP opens many pathways to kickstart your career on the international stage," Ryan said.

"I have developed personal and professional networks, I have many friends and business connections from around the world, and I believe that the growth of my professional network due to NCP will continue to assist me in many ways throughout my professional career – as it has already done."

ECU is expanding horizons

ECU is a university with state-of-the-art facilities, highly engaged industry partnerships and dynamic learning environments with committed academics who have years of industry experience.

"ECU's immersive labs allowed me to practice my theoretical knowledge using state-of-the-art equipment, and the assignments emulated modern industry problems, enhancing my creativity and problem-solving skills," Ryan said.

"Together, these experiences not only enriched my academic journey but also prepared me for future challenges in my profession as a mechatronics engineer."

Opening doors to your graduate job

Since graduating, Ryan has continued to excel in the pursuit of his career dreams by using the experience he gained through his NCP Scholarship and studies at ECU.

He currently works as a graduate engineer where he supports the design and construction of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), a multilateral project to build the world's two largest radio telescope arrays, in South Africa and Australia.

"The project aims to transform our understanding of the universe by looking back into the past and solving our greatest mysteries," Ryan said.

"The Scholarship gave me a firm direction on where to continue my future, and the practical engineering experience I gained at ECU has assisted in my work as a graduate engineer in remote Western Australia."

Visit ecu.edu.au/scholarships to find out more.

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