Global Veterinary Care and Innovation: Exploring Animal Health in Hong Kong and China

The estimated program fee for the Global Veterinary Care and Innovation: Exploring Animal Health in Hong Kong and China program is AUD $6,500.

The program fee covers:

• flights
• accommodation
• tours and cultural activities (including admission)
• language classes and learning activities
• local transport
• most meals.

Successful applicants will be awarded with AUD $4,000 New Colombo Plan mobility grant to put towards program fees. This NCP mobility grant will be paid directly to successful applicants.

Final program fees are subject to change. Outstanding program costs not covered by the NCP mobility grant and any additional expenses for meals, shopping and incidentals are to be paid by student participants. The estimated out-of-pocket cost of AUD $2,500 may vary.

Participants may be eligible to apply for an OS-HELP Loan to cover out-of-pocket program costs. The due date to apply for an OS-HELP Loan for this experience is Monday 15 September 2025.

Participants may wish to apply for a Faculty of Science Placement Enabling Grant to support participation in this experience. Applications close on Friday 31 October 2025.

To be eligible to participate in this mobility program, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Australian passport
  • you will be required to submit a valid Australian passport as part of the acceptance process if successful
  • your Australian passport must have more than 6 months validity from the date of return to Australia (21 December 2025)
• age
  • aged 18-28 at time of travel
    • note: provisions are in place for a percentage of students over the age of 28 to participate
• program enrolment
  • currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Veterinary Science (Honours) program at UQ and progressing to 2nd, 3rd or 4th year in Semester 1 2026
  • cumulative GPA of 5.0 or higher
  • require a further 15 days Animal Husbandry Work Integrated Learning (‘Career Enhancement’ or ‘Other’ Experience) towards the BVSc(Hons)
    • students with less than 15 days Animal Husbandry WIL remaining may still apply and will be considered on a case-by-case basis
• be available to attend the full duration of the program (Saturday 22 November – Sunday 21 December 2025).

You must declare whether you have previously received an NCP short-term mobility grant previously, as this may make you ineligible for this program (we will check this if you apply). 

You don't need any prior knowledge of Chinese language to participate.

Other considerations

This study experience will involve significant walking and hiking during site visits and on university campuses. We encourage applicants to consider the physical demands of the program and reach out if they have any concerns, or need accommodations, prior to submitting an application.

NCP encourages participation by students from diverse backgrounds. If you fit into any of the categories below, and do not fully satisfy one or more of the eligibility criteria above, please reach out to see how we might be able to support your application:

• Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
• low SES background
• from a regional or remote area
• first in your immediate family to attend university
• a person with a disability
• non-English speaking background.

Participation in this program is through a competitive application process.

A selection panel consisting of academic and professional services representatives from the Faculty of Science will consider all applications and notify you of the outcome by 18 July.

Applicants will be assessed by our selection panel based on:

1) meeting eligibility criteria

2) personal statement (up to 300 words):

• outlining your motivations for taking part in this study opportunity, including how it is relevant to your future career goals, and how your experience and skills will contribute to improving learning for you and your peers
• reflecting on the program theme Global Veterinary Care and Innovation and addressing why you wish to experience large animal health care in China and Hong Kong
• Demonstrating commitment to the program and learning experience.

If you need assistance with writing a strong application, please refer to the resources available from UQ Careers and Employability.

The following details will be requested during the application process:

• full name
• UQ student ID number
• UQ email address
• phone number
• date of birth
• UQ program
• current year of study
• current cumulative GPA
• Australian citizenship status.

Participants must:

• meet all international travel requirements for China and Hong Kong
• participate in and complete all mandatory pre- and post-travel activities, including the enrolment, learning, and assessment of the course / program requirement this experience will contribute towards
• commit to and attend the full program duration, and engage actively in all learning activities
• comply with behaviour expectations outlined in the UQ Student Code of Conduct Policy
• be considerate and mindful that while abroad, you are representing the Australian Government, the university, and yourself.

Immunisation

Students participating in this experience are:

• required to be compliant with the BVSc(Hons) program immunisation requirements – evidence of immunity to Q fever and up-to-date vaccination against tetanus
• strongly recommended to consult their doctor regarding recommended immunisations as per the Smart Traveller website for China.

Deferred and supplementary examinations

Students participating in this experience acknowledge that the travel will take place during the Semester 2 deferred and supplementary assessment period and there are no provisions to reschedule deferred or supplementary assessments.

Withdrawals and reimbursements

Students who withdraw are required to reimburse UQ (up to the amount of the grant) for:

• all cancellation fees associated with flights, accommodation, and other non-refundable program costs, and;
• any funds that may have been received prior to cancellation.

What are the international travel requirements?

To be considered for an international study tour, you will need to have:

• a valid Australian passport (with a minimum of 6 months validity from the end of the program, i.e. the date of return to Australia)
• the means to obtain relevant entry permission for China and Hong Kong, which involves applying for, and obtaining a visa in advance through an online platform and/or in-person location.

If your passport has expired or will expire in the 6 months following the program's end, you should commence the passport renewal process. Note - this is not a consideration in your application, but rather a general eligibility criterion. Participants are liable for their own passport application / renewal fees.

Students with pre-existing medical conditions or accessibility requirements are encouraged to apply, and this will not disqualify you from participation. Please note that dependent on the condition, participants may be required to undergo assessment by a qualified medical professional to endorse fitness for travel.

It is recommended that all applicants familiarise themselves with the UQ's Student Travel Procedure prior to submitting an application.

Do I need travel insurance?

All participants of this study tour will be covered by an appropriate level of travel insurance under UQ’s existing policy.

All participants are required to attend a UQ Travel Insurance briefing session prior to departure. Information will be provided about such events to successful applicants.

UQ Travel Insurance covers students for activities that are part of the study tour program schedule. Some activities that participants may take part in during personal time may not be covered under UQ Travel Insurance, e.g. extreme sports, high-risk leisure activities, etc.

It is the participant's responsibility to check the UQ Travel Insurance policy to confirm what activities are and are not covered. Organise adequate personal insurance coverage as required. 

Do I need to organise my own flight or accommodation?

No. Flights and accommodation will be included in the program fees.

Do I need to apply for a visa?

Successful applicants are required to organise and provide evidence of their own entry visa for China and Hong Kong within the required timeframe.

All costs for relevant entry visas are borne by participants, including the cost of the visa and costs associated with obtaining the visa. 

The Science International team can provide supporting documentation for your visa application, e.g. an invitation letter from the host institution. However, UQ and the Science International team are unable to assist further or with the provision of information relating to the visa, aside from what is publicly available on trusted government websites.

Will I have free time?

Yes! You will have free time in between the time with your host institutions and attending events and activities throughout the program. You will be required to attend events and activities organised by the School of Veterinary Science and the local hosts throughout the program. You are advised to view the program schedule before making plans for your free time.

Typically, participants can expect to have most evenings and weekends free.