Growing together through strong people-to-people ties

Australia and the Philippines mark 80 years of diplomatic relations this year. Over eight decades, our partnership has grown broader and more consequential. Today it spans defense, maritime and police cooperation, development collaboration, trade and investment and education and cultural exchange. It is comprehensive in scope and practical in focus and at its foundation are strong and enduring people-to-people links.

The elevation of our relationship to a Strategic Partnership reflects our shared commitment to work together in more meaningful ways. This requires investment not only in institutions and agreements, but also in people. Education cooperation is central to that effort.

For decades, Australia and the Philippines have partnered to build skills, strengthen institutions and develop leadership capability. During my travels around the Philippines, I have met countless Australian-educated Filipinos making an impact in their fields using the expertise, skills and networks they gained from Australia. They are proof that investing in human capital transforms lives and empowers people to make positive contributions and drive innovation in their communities.

Australia Awards Scholarships remain one of our most significant and enduring investments in the relationship. This prestigious, inclusive and competitive scholarship program enables talented Filipinos to undertake master’s and doctoral studies in Australia in fields aligned with Philippine development priorities. It is structured not simply as an academic opportunity, but as a long-term development partnership.

A distinctive feature of the Australia Awards program in the Philippines is the Re-Entry Action Plan. This ensures scholars apply the expertise and networks developed in Australia to projects here in the Philippines. Scholars also benefit from professional networks and a dynamic international alumni network, ensuring they make a lasting impact in their chosen fields and communities. In this way, education cooperation contributes directly to institutional reform, innovation and community development.

Since 2004, more than 1,500 Australia Awards alumni have returned to the Philippines. They now hold leadership positions across government, the private sector, civil society and academia. They shape public policy, expand commercial activity, strengthen research institutions and support local communities. In short, they are critical to the strength and vitality of the Australia-Philippines bilateral relationship – local ambassadors who help build and strengthen bridges between our two countries.

You too could soon join the ranks of these prestigious scholars! The 2027 intake of our Australia Awards program is open for application until April 30, 2026 (www.australiaawardsphilippines.org/scholarships).

Alumni engagement also advances the ambitions of Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040. Invested 2040 recognizes that Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, is central to Australia’s future prosperity. It outlines practical steps to expand trade, diversify supply chains and expand investment linkages. Alumni are helping translate these objectives into tangible outcomes.

Entrepreneurs with an Australian education are strengthening commercial ties by exporting Filipino products to Australia, from artisan textiles and handcrafted leather goods to premium food products. Others are promoting tourism and facilitating business linkages between our markets, including by organizing Mindanao’s first-ever tourism and investment roadshow in Sydney and Melbourne. These initiatives create jobs, support local enterprises and expand two-way trade. They demonstrate how education cooperation can catalyze economic opportunity.

Our partnership in skills development is equally important. Collaboration between Australia Awards alumni and institutions such as Technical and Further Education New South Wales is strengthening technical and vocational education in the Philippines. By aligning course design with industry needs and international standards, these partnerships enhance workforce capability and support greater productivity. They contribute to building green skills and digital capability that will underpin future growth.

Alumni are also introducing Australian-developed tools and approaches in research, environmental management and data analysis in the Philippines. The application of advanced modeling technologies to support Indigenous communities map ancestral lands and document environment impacts, and the expansion of research software platforms in the social development sector, illustrate how expertise can be applied across borders to practical effect. These exchanges strengthen institutional capacity and reinforce a shared commitment to evidence-based policy.

As the Philippines assumes the ASEAN Chairship in 2026, alumni networks are also contributing to regional dialogue and cooperation, including through the Aus4ASEAN program. Initiatives focused on sustainable energy transition and green skills, such as the Australia Alumni Regional Sustainability Summit, are bringing together Australian experts and Southeast Asian partners. This engagement reflects our common interest in a stable, prosperous and rules-based region and underscores the value of educational exchange in supporting regional connectivity.

Ultimately, people-to-people links build trust and understanding. They create networks that endure beyond political cycles and policy shifts. They complement our expanding defense cooperation, growing trade and investment flows and development partnership. They provide foundations of familiarity and confidence that strengthen all aspects of the Australia-Philippines Strategic Partnership.

As we look ahead, education cooperation and our alumni community will be integral to fostering the people-to-people links necessary to advance cooperation between our countries. Their leadership and innovation underline the strength of our bilateral ties. Through sustained collaboration in education and skills, Australia and the Philippines will continue to enhance our partnership and advance peace, stability and prosperity in our region.

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Marc Innes-Brown is the Australian Ambassador to the Philippines.