NUW Alliance Malaysia Science Internships

In-country program is back!

We are pleased to announce that the NCP Malaysia program has in-country and virtual options for the Summer 2023/24 intake!

Summer project placements

In-country and virtual version of this the Malaysia science project internships are available for Summer 2023/24. 

Join a team of University of Newcastle (UON), UNSW Sydney and University of Wollongong (UOW) students on an in-country or virtual internship with science project partners in Malaysia while getting 6 UOC elective credit (SCIF3199). This is your chance to network with students from other universities and global partners from Malaysia. Scholarships are available for eligible domestic students!

Projects are available for the following science programs/majors:

Biotechnology
Biology
Ecology
Environmental Management
Food Science - pending
Genetics
3991 Medical Science
Microbiology
Molecular and Cell Biology

Program guide 2023-24

Download pdf

Apply for Malaysia virtual summer internship

Applications Closed

Applications now closed.

Get valuable industry work experience in Malaysia

Details of the standard in-country program

UNSW Science is working with The Global Student (TGS) to provide you with an eight-week science work placement in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This is a fantastic opportunity to develop your practical skills and knowledge over the summer holidays.

Malaysia is rapidly investing in infrastructure and attracting foreign investment through the development of STEM industries.

Students undertaking programs and majors is the Schools of BABS, BEES, Chemistry and SOMS/SBMS are encouraged to apply. 

Benefits of the program

Gain global work experience and give yourself the graduate edge.
Enjoy networking opportunities with key business and other universities
Experience Southeast Asian culture and life in one of the world’s most diverse cities
Gain credit towards your science degree: you’ll receive 6 UoC by enrolling in SCIF3199 Science Work Placement and completing online assessment tasks.
This program is supported by the Australian Government New Colombo Plan (NCP), with $4000 scholarships available to eligible domestic students travelling to Malaysia for the program and $1000 scholarships for students taking on the program virtually.

What does the program include?

8-week internship within science industry (related to your major).
Accommodation and work placement arranged for you.
6 UoC credit-bearing course SCIF3199 Science Work Placement.
Up to $4000 scholarships available for domestic students.

This program provides eight-week science research internships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as part of the 6 unit of credit science or free elective, SCIF3199.

Students are placed within a research group and will contribute productively to a project or series of activities.

While the exact nature of the work will vary depending on the research project, it is a requirement that students will be involved in work that is related to their major of study.

Students are also expected to complete online assessments before and during the work placement. This prepares students for the professional work environment, providing insights on key transferrable professional skills and allows students to reflect on their professional development throughout the experience. More information about specific details of assessments is available at: SCIF 3199.

Students will be allocated a supervisor within the organisation to mentor and support them throughout the experience. In addition to this, a course coordinator is also assigned to SCIF3199, who will monitor progress throughout the placement. The Global Student will also provide 24/7 emergency support throughout the work placement. 
The dates for the program are set from Monday 11 December 2023 to Friday 9 February 2024.

These dates are non-negotiable and students applying for the program are expected to be available within this timeframe.
The Program Guide lists the host organisations for the summer SCIF3199 program and includes a description of each project they can provide.

It cannot be guaranteed that students will be placed with their preferred research project, however, we will ensure that students are placed in a project that will provide experience directly related to the student's major of study.

Program Guide

Know the costs

Details in the below table are based on the 2023/24 program. Note: There may be some slight variations in cost.

Item	Cost
In Country Program fee Includes: 8 weeks accommodation Pre-departure support Orientation program  Networking, cultural & farewell events 24-hour emergency support Social catch-ups in the form of Breakfast Clubs on weekends by The Global Student	Scholarship recipients: UNSW Science uses $4000 scholarship to pay majority of the program fee. These funds will be paid on the student’s behalf. Money will not be transferred to students. Non-scholarship recipients including international students: student is responsible for covering the full program fee.
BBRC program fee: $4000*. The NCP scholarship pays $4000. Student pays no additional program fees.	IMU program fee: $5500*. The NCP scholarship contributes $4000 towards the fee. Student is responsible for covering the additional $1500.
Return airfares Sydney - KL	Approx: $800 - $ 1,500 Students must purchase own airfares.
Living expenses during the work placement (transport, food, spending money)	Approx: $ 2000 For the full 8-week work placement.  This is a very rough estimate; it can vary greatly from person-to-person.
Virtual Program Fee	The program cost is AUD$1000. Eligible domestic students accepted into the program will be offered a New Colombo Plan scholarship to cover the full program costs.
SCIF 3199 (6UoC) tuition	Standard international or domestic CSP rates. As per any normal course, can be deferred via HECS or paid up-front.

Item

Cost

In Country Program fee

Includes:

8 weeks accommodation
Pre-departure support
Orientation program 
Networking, cultural & farewell events
24-hour emergency support
Social catch-ups in the form of Breakfast Clubs on weekends by The Global Student

Scholarship recipients: UNSW Science uses $4000 scholarship to pay majority of the program fee. These funds will be paid on the student’s behalf. Money will not be transferred to students.

Non-scholarship recipients including international students: student is responsible for covering the full program fee.

BBRC program fee:

$4000*. The NCP scholarship pays $4000.

Student pays no additional program fees.

IMU program fee:

$5500*. The NCP scholarship contributes $4000 towards the fee.

Student is responsible for covering the additional $1500.

Return airfares Sydney - KL

Approx: $800 - $ 1,500

Students must purchase own airfares.

Living expenses during the work placement

(transport, food, spending money)

Approx: $ 2000

For the full 8-week work placement. 

This is a very rough estimate; it can vary greatly from person-to-person.

Virtual Program Fee

The program cost is AUD$1000. Eligible domestic students accepted into the program will be offered a New Colombo Plan scholarship to cover the full program costs.

SCIF 3199 (6UoC) tuition

Standard international or domestic CSP rates.

As per any normal course, can be deferred via HECS or paid up-front.

Item
In Country Program fee

Includes:
- 8 weeks accommodation
- Pre-departure support
- Orientation program 
- Networking, cultural & farewell events
- 24-hour emergency support
- Social catch-ups in the form of Breakfast Clubs on weekends by The Global Student
Cost

Scholarship recipients: UNSW Science uses $4000 scholarship to pay majority of the program fee. These funds will be paid on the student’s behalf. Money will not be transferred to students.

Non-scholarship recipients including international students: student is responsible for covering the full program fee.
Item

BBRC program fee:

$4000*. The NCP scholarship pays $4000.

Student pays no additional program fees.

Cost

IMU program fee:

$5500*. The NCP scholarship contributes $4000 towards the fee.

Student is responsible for covering the additional $1500.
Item

Return airfares Sydney - KL
Cost

Approx: $800 - $ 1,500

Students must purchase own airfares.
Item

Living expenses during the work placement

(transport, food, spending money)

Cost

Approx: $ 2000

For the full 8-week work placement. 

This is a very rough estimate; it can vary greatly from person-to-person.
Item

Virtual Program Fee
Cost

The program cost is AUD$1000. Eligible domestic students accepted into the program will be offered a New Colombo Plan scholarship to cover the full program costs.
Item

SCIF 3199 (6UoC) tuition
Cost

Standard international or domestic CSP rates.

As per any normal course, can be deferred via HECS or paid up-front.

*Costs are subject to change as the team continues to negotiate the best prices for you. Listed prices are current estimations.

Scholarships

Eligible domestic students may be offered an Australian Government New Colombo Plan (NCP) scholarship if they are successful in securing a work placement. Scholarships of up to $4000 are available for summer session 2023/24*.

Commonwealth-supported students also have the option of applying for an OS-Help loan to cover additional expenses related to the program. 

International students are welcome to apply and participate in the program, however, they are not eligible for the NCP Scholarship or OS-HELP and are recommended to contact science.industry@unsw.edu.au for more information.

Eligibility requirements for the New Columbo Plan Scholarship:

is an Australian citizen
is not a citizen or permanent resident of a host location in which they will undertake a mobility project
is enrolled in an Australian on-shore campus and undertaking a bachelor degree or bachelor honours degree at an Australian university for the duration of the mobility project
will receive credit/count towards the course requirements for the student's bachelor degree, bachelor honours degree or concurrent diploma at their Australian university
not be an employee of the branch of DFAT that administers the NCP
does not during the course of their bachelor degree or bachelor honours degree:
receive more than one student grant for the same mobility project. or
receive more than two student grants during the course of their Bachelor Degree or Bachelor Honours Degree
agrees to comply with DFAT’s Child Protection Policy and Preventing Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment Policy including the reporting obligations under these policies (see Section 10.4), and has completed DFAT’s online NCP pre-departure training eLearning,
has signed an acknowledgement that they have read NCP Student Code of Conduct prior to their departure, and
takes into account the Guidelines to Counter Foreign Interference in the Australian University Sector

Students travelling overseas must adhere to UNSW Work Integrated Learning (WIL) International Travel advice. Below is the Travel Approval Process.

WIL Travel approval process

This includes completing the pre-departure module on Moodle, completing Safeture’s eLearning modules, completing UNSW Travel Risk Assessment form to be approved by WIL Central before booking and paying for flights.

There are 3 stages to the application process.

Stage 1: Written application

UNSW Science will select applicants to proceed to stage 2.  

In order to apply, students must: 

have a minimum 65 WAM 

have room in their program to enrol in SCIF3199 as a science or free elective (student can request a progress check with The Nucleus Student Hub if they are unsure)

be studying a relevant major

provide all requested supporting documents (academic statement, CV, cover letter, copy of passport).   

To proceed to Stage 2, students must also exhibit the four attributes expected of successful applicants:

Responsible, with the ability to behave with a high level of maturity and professionalism. 

Culturally adept, with the ability to act in a respectful and culturally sensitive way. 

Motivated, with a strong drive to learn new skills and undertake challenging work.    

Resilient, with the ability to deal with new and difficult situations. 

NCP scholarships will be awarded to the top 20 domestic applicants, based on WAM and cover letter responses. Additional, non-scholarship funded places may be awarded to both domestic and international students.

Supporting documents 

Students must submit four supporting documents with their application. 

Academic Statement (can be accessed via the Student Tab on myUNSW). 

Copy of the photo page of your passport. 

Current CV. 

Cover Letter. Please address the cover letter to UNSW Science. The cover letter should be 1 to 2 pages in length, and should: 

explain why the applicant is interested in the summer placement opportunity 

highlight the applicant's current skills and experience in their major of study (whether that is through coursework, co-curricular activities, or other work experience) 

address the four attributes expected of successful applicants. 

Help with application writing

UNSW Careers provide many services to assist students with job application techniques. To have a competitive application, it is highly recommended that you use their online Resume checker and other tips on writing cover letters.  

Students are encouraged to contact UNSW Science (science.industry@unsw.edu.au) if they have any questions about the application process. 

Stage 2: Interviews

Students selected for Stage 2 will be interviewed by the Science Education Team using either MS Teams or Zoom. This will also be used to set expectations for the program as well as provide you with the chance to ask any question relating to the program.

Stage 3: Work Placement Agreement

Successful students will be sent an offer to take part in the program. UNSW Science will advise on fee and activities the student must complete before the program commences as well as organise enrolment into SCIF3199 on the student’s behalf.
Applications Closed

Applications closed: 11:45pm Sunday 13 August 2023.

Find out more

You can ask questions about the Kuala Lumpur Work Placement Program by contacting
science.industry@unsw.edu.au

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