Cambodian Scholar Shares Journey to a Fully Funded Master’s in Communication with Australia Awards Scholarship

Hello there, our future scholarship recipients! I’m sure you are here for the same reason I was 4 years ago – the be inspired and motivated to apply for a life-changing opportunity!

My name is Sokmeng Chan. I came from Cambodia to study the Master of Communication intake 2025 at RMIT University, Australia, with the support of the Australia Awards Scholarships, fully funded by the Australian Government.

Personally, communication has always been a part of my career. From starting my first job as a teacher, to becoming a public relations officer, and back to teaching again, I can’t think of a moment when communication is not part of what I do. This is a field that can make a huge difference to people's lives. With the right communication, we connect with people, establish a network, and make progress in any development. And continuous communication will make things sustainable.

Before commencing my master’s program, I undertook a Bachelor of Arts in Media Management at the Department of Media and Communication, Royal University of Phnom Penh, the same place where I later worked at for the 3 years following my graduation. I had an overall GPA of 3.49. My studies during my bachelor’s degree have enabled me to explore the impact of communication on stakeholder relationship building and management, policy dialogue, and communication for behavior change. And this drives me to want to learn even more about the field.

I chose RMIT University as one of my preferred institutions because of its diverse curriculum that allows me to apply my communication expertise in different settings, let it be at the grassroots level, among development organizations, or delivering my own speech.

What advice do you give to those applying for the Australia Awards Scholarship?

Of course, just like every scholar’s story you have read on this site, my journey for this scholarship was not without storm and wave. Australia Award is a highly competitive scholarship program offered by the Australian government for individual who want to make a difference to their beloved nation. To be selected for the program, you need dedication, effort, and consistency. Yes, you may question your ability, and so did I. Yes, you may not get the IELTS score you wanted, and so did I. Yes, there may be obstacles that make you feel like there is something trying to prevent you from getting a scholarship, and so did I. I have had failed application for this program too before I eventually made it to Australia, and there are only two advice I can offer to you. One, and I know you probably already know what I’m going to tell you, is not to give up. Two, is to prepare for it.

While I may not know how exactly the committee is evaluating the scholarship provision decision, what I am sure of is that they will not be giving us a “pass” from a submission of a one-night policy work. So, it’s best to start learning about the scholarship process now, contacting back to your lecturers and supervisors for the recommendation, saving money for the English test, and preparing all your documents. It is never a bad decision to be ready early.

I know I said I only had two advice, but this may be the third one. That is, be you. Be who you are, tell them about who you are, what you did, and who you have aspired to be. And that is what I think made my application stand out. When you write your scholarship application, envision you are writing your own version of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “I have a dream”, and make sure it is a S.M.A.R.T. dream.

Talking about dreams, I hope my dream-come-true story will inspire you to make yours become a reality, and that you will continue to inspire others to pursue their dream just like those who came before us.