University's success in OPRS scheme

The University of Queensland has been awarded the second highest number of Overseas Postgraduate Research Scholarships (OPRS) given nationally for 1998.

Employment Education, Training and Youth Affairs Minister Dr David Kemp has advised that the University of Queensland has been awarded 28 OPRS, after the University of New South Wales which received 35.

The next highest numbers of awards were made to the University of Sydney (24), Australian National University (22), Monash University (18), University of Melbourne (17), University of Adelaide (16), and University of Wollongong (15).

The Federal Government awarded a total of $15.7 million under the scheme for 1998. The scholarships cover tuition fees and are made to students of overseas countries commencing full-time study for a higher research degree at Australian universities.

The University of Queensland's total of 28 OPRS was:

- almost 10 percent of the 300 OPRS allocated to universities by the Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs (DEETYA);

- almost 2.5 times the national average of allocations;

- Sixty-two percent of the total allocation to Queensland.

Other Queensland universities receiving OPRS are Griffith University (4), James Cook University of North Queensland (8), Queensland University of Technology (3), Central Queensland University (1), University of Southern Queensland (1).

The University 's Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Paul Greenfield, said the OPRS scheme was an important way in which the University established further international links.

'We have far more excellent candidates than scholarships,' he said.

'And our aim is to attract students whose skills, expertise, and interests match those of strong research groups and strategically important areas of the University.'

For further information, contact the University's International Education Office, telephone 07 3365 2612.