Engineers Without Borders - Humanitarian Design Summits

Key information

Program 1: Designing for Impact in Cambodia

Destination: Cambodia

Dates: 22 November - 19 December 2026

Program Cost: A$1,500 + airfares with NCP Grant (A$7,500 + airfares without NCP grant)

Funding:

• A$6,000 New Colombo Plan Mobility Grants available for eligible students
• $9,893 OS-HELP Loans available for eligible students

Program Eligibility: Undergraduate Engineering students

Application Deadline: 28 August 2026
 

Program 2: Sustainability in Engineering in Timor-Leste

Destination: Timor-Leste

Dates: 17 - 13 February 2027 

Program Cost: A$1,500 + airfares with NCP Grant (A$7,500 + airfares without NCP grant)

Funding:

• A$6,000 New Colombo Plan Mobility Grants available for eligible students
• $9,893 OS-HELP Loans available for eligible students

Program Eligibility: Undergraduate Engineering students

Application Deadline: 28 August 2026

Overview

These experiences aim to complement and expand the boundaries of your university experience. They also seeks to shape the next generation of socio-technical engineering leaders who are committed to creating positive impact. You can expect to the challenged, to learn how to respond to ambiguity with humility in contexts different to our own.

By participating in an Engineers Without Borders (EWB) program, you will gain experience in:

• Socio-technical skills and mindsets
• Appropriate technology best-practice
• Designing in resource constrained environments
• Working with community and clients on needs analysis and problem definition
• Evaluating solutions including maintenance, materials and cost
• Rapid prototyping and development
• Client engagement and communication
• Cross-cultural engagement, teamwork and project management
   

Academic information

Which unit/s can this program be taken for as credit?

• EAT20008 - Professional Experience in Engineering
• ENG30003 - Technology and Innovation in Society Field Project

Can this unit be taken as an elective by students in any Swinburne degree?

No

Eligibility

To qualify for this program, you must:

• Be enrolled in an Undergraduate Engineering degree
• Have completed at least 150 credit points in your course

Program cost

The cost of this program is A$1,500 + airfares (after NCP grant has been applied). Without an NCP Grant, the program cost is A$7,500 + airfares

See below for the list of inclusions and exclusions of the program fee.

Inclusions

• Accommodation
• All meals
• Program related transport
• Facilitators and trainers
• Travel and medical insurance
   

Exclusions

• International airfares
• Visa
• Academic tuition fees (unit costs) - if applicable
• Airport transfers
• Personal expenses
   

Funding

Funding your overseas jounrey may be easier than you think

New Colombo Plan Mobility Grants for Australian undergraduate students

This program has a number of A$6,000 Australian Government New Colombo Plan grants. These grants are available to Australian undergraduate students (with no citizenship or residency rights to Cambodia), who have not previously received an NCP short-term grant.

Grants are allocated on a rolling basis and students are automatically considered for a grant as part of their application process.

OS-HELP Loan

Eligible Australian students can apply for an Australian Government OS-HELP Loan of either A$4,946 or A$9,893 to help cover costs associated with your overseas program. 

For more information on funding and eligibility, see Fee Help and Scholarships.