2025 Stephen FitzGerald Scholars Announced
Forty-five of the brightest international students from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan studying at universities across this nation will benefit from inside access to Australia’s defining cultural, political and legal building blocks.
The third annual intake of a now enlarged Stephen FitzGerald Scholars Program (SFSP) will visit Canberra in November to coincide with the last scheduled parliamentary sittings of the year.
The popular program aims to foster a deeper understanding of Australia through a unique course of special visits, hosted tours and expert talks at Australia’s most important institutions.
Following two successful pilot years, the ANU Australian Studies Institute (AuSI) was pleased to secure four-year grant funding of $1 million from the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations (the Foundation) for this flagship program.
Provided by AuSI, the curated program of events grants rare access to the bedrock institutions of Australian statehood including Parliament House, the High Court of Australia, the National Press Club and the major national cultural institutions.
Fittingly, it has been named in honour of Dr Stephen FitzGerald AO, who was Australia’s first ambassador to the People’s Republic of China in 1973.
Dr FitzGerald, who is an alumnus of ANU, will address the students who will also hear from some of the country’s most senior politicians, academics, and jurists.
Chenyu Lyu, who is completing a Master of Translation and Interpreting at the University of Melbourne, says she is looking forward to contributing to deeper cultural exchange between Australia and China through the Program.
“I'm looking forward to exploring Australia's national and cultural institutions firsthand in Canberra and engaging in meaningful conversations with leaders across different fields. It's also a wonderful chance for me to gain unique insights into and contribute to deeper cultural exchange between Australia and China by connecting with like-minded peers who are curious, thoughtful and passionate about building cross-cultural understanding."
Master of Business student, Haonan Li, from Monash University has a keen interest in cross-border collaboration and is looking forward to understanding more about Australia’s political, economic, and cultural life.
"As a finance student with experience in investment banking, I’m particularly interested in cross-border M&A. I hope to become someone who can help structure deals that are not only financially sound but also culturally aware. I'm really looking forward to learning more about Australia’s political, economic, and cultural life through this unique program."
Academic Convenor, Professor Mark Kenny, said students stand to gain a much richer sense of why Australia is the country it is. There are so many positive aspects to Australian democracy but for an international student, head-down in demanding studies, working out how the place functions and where its governments, courts, and traditions were created, is less obvious.
“Our two nations are bound together by geography, history, trade, and by fantastic intergenerational people-to-people ties. Yet for all that, we are two very different cultures with two very different political systems. So much is to be gained by building our shared literacy in each other, and in taking the strengths of each to build our parallel futures,” he said.
“China sends its best and brightest to study in Australia and this program seeks to enrich that intellectual and inter-cultural trade by explaining how this system works, and why.
“Many nations provide cultural familiarisation tours and exchanges for journalists and politicians but where this differs is that it builds on the overseas student experience for those already in this country to give them a fuller picture of Australian culture, democratic institutions, courts, art, and science.
“What is more, it is a thoroughly enjoyable program designed to honour the best Chinese students undertaking higher-degree education each year and through that to strengthen the two-country relationship for generations into the future.”
CEO, Gary Cowan said, the Foundation was pleased to support the Stephen FitzGerald Scholars Program.
“Chinese international students contribute so much to Australia’s communities, classrooms and campuses. While studying in Australia, they of course take training that will equip them for life and their career. But the Stephen FitzGerald Scholars Program offers them something more: a deepened understanding of Australia, its people and its culture; and lasting links in the interest of both our countries.”
Twenty-three Australian universities are represented in the 2025 intake of the program. Congratulations to the 2025 Stephen FitzGerald Scholars:
- Ying Kwan Chan, Griffith University
- Lucas Chen, Queensland University of Technology
- Meiling Chen, Murdoch University
- Zhi Chen, Federation University
- Shaoleng Cheng, Central Queensland University
- Yongqi Cheng, University of Wollongong
- Kan Dong, University of Queensland
- Tat Kuen Fung, Murdoch University
- Yunrui Gu, Monash University
- Shing Hin Ho, Curtin University
- Wui Yan Ho, Flinders University
- Kai Wing Hui, Swinburne University of Technology
- Hoi Man Lau, University of the Sunshine Coast
- Chaoran Li, Federation University
- Haonan Li, Monash University
- Chenyu Lyu, University of Melbourne
- Tsz Hin Ma, Macquarie University
- Kwong Ting Mok, Curtin University
- Xiaonan Song, University of Canberra
- Fei Wang, Flinders University
- Siqi Wang, Deakin University
- Yixiang Wang, University of Wollongong
- Minqiang Wei, University of Canberra
- Shuk Yan Wong, Deakin University
- Sin Yuen Wong, University of Queensland
- Sze Wa Wong, Murdoch University
- Wing Sze Wong, Flinders University
- Chih-Hsien Wu, Central Queensland University
- Siqing Wu, University of Western Australia
- Lu Xia, University of Adelaide
- Tianjie Xie, University of Queensland
- Bingrui Yan, Monash University
- Huachen Yang, UNSW Sydney
- Yu-Jui Yang, University of Melbourne
- Yangbeiyao Yu, Australian National University
- Yu Shan Yu, Swinburne University of Technology
- Jingyi Zhang, University of Melbourne
- Zhipeng Zhang, Charles Darwin University
- Changrui Zhao, Flinders University
- Zimeng Zhao, Australian National University
- Linxi Zheng, University of Sydney
- Fangyiyun Zhong, Australian National University
- Heng Zhong, University of Southern Queensland
- Yuqing Zhou, University of Sydney
- Yuzhao Zhou, University of Sydney
The Stephen FitzGerald Scholars Program is supported by the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations. The ANU Australian Studies Institute is proud to be a National Foundation for Australia-China Relations grant recipient.
More information on the 2025 Stephen FitzGerald Scholars can be found here: Stephen FitzGerald Scholars Program | Australian Studies Institute