By Ian Neubauer
Three wine students from Northeast Asia have won two-week scholarships to further their studies in Australia in the hope they will become ambassadors for Australian wine.
The winners of the inaugural Wine Australia Travel Scholarship are Liyan Tang from Beijing, Manin Yeom from Hong Kong and Hee-Seok Seo from Seoul.
The application form asked candidates to complete an essay discussing the unique qualities of Australian wine. Costs were subsidised by the Australian Wine and Brand Corporation (AWBC) and the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET), the world’s foremost supplier of wine education programs.
“The winning candidates all displayed an outstanding knowledge, understanding and interest of our industry, yet they have not had the chance to travel to Australia,” said AWBC regional manager — emerging markets, Ali Hogarth. “We’ve identified three future ambassadors for Australian wine as part of our key focus on wine and trade education in these markets.”
In the first week of the scholarship, winners will visit key wine regions and wineries across Australia. In the second week, the students will complete a week-long work placement with a peak industry organisation or company.
“The industry placement is a unique aspect of these scholarships and will be a great chance for the winners to make contacts that will benefit everybody concerned,” Hogarth said. “We’ve worked closely with the Approved Program Providers of the WSET curriculum in each of the countries, and were really encouraged by the number and quality of candidates who applied.”
The winning essay, Australia: World Class, can be seen at www.wineaustralia.com/worldclass.