The Minister for Financial Services & Regulation, Joe Hockey, said education is the bedrock of plans to further develop Australia as a global financial centre.
The Minister was speaking at an event in Sydney last night to congratulate the inaugural Australian Centre for Global Finance scholarship holders.
"Australia's success as a global financial centre will rest heavily on the ability to keep developing our human capital. So, education is clearly the bedrock," the Minister said.
"As part of the Centre's broader education strategy scholarships such as these will ensure Australia has the skills necessary for a growing financial centre.
Eight Scholarship holders from across Australia started the program in January 2000. As part of the program the students had the opportunity to work in one of the following agencies: the Treasury, Reserve Bank of Australia, Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, Australian Securities and Investments Commission, Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
The Australian Centre for Global Finance, set up last July, plays a central role in the Government's initiative to further develop Australia as a global financial centre.
Education and training are two of the Centre's major areas of operation, and one of its aims is to support Australia's reputation as a Centre of Excellence in Education and Training for financial services.
The scholarships encourage promising students to attain academic excellence in disciplines relevant to the finance sector.
"The scholarship program will continue next year and applications will be called from interested students in the near future," the Minister said.
"I congratulate the 2000 scholarship recipients and I am sure this year's scholarship holders will go on to play a significant role in Australia's financial sector."
25 May 2000
Media contact: Matthew Abbott, Minister's office, 02 6277 7230, 0413 076 213
Attachment
List of Scholarship Holders
| Scholarship Holder | University | Work placement |
| Jenny Chan | University of Queensland | ACCC |
| Claire Battellino | University of Sydney | APRA |
| Ben Barry | The University of Newcastle | APRA |
| Zoltan Murgulov | Griffith University | ASIC |
| Matthew Doyle | University of Newcastle | Treasury |
| Shauna Wong | University of New South Wales | Treasury |
| Anthony Coleman | University of New South Wales | RBA |
| Ben Wilson | Flinders University of South Australia | ASIC |