APRU Undergraduate Leaders’ Program

Source: https://employability.uq.edu.au/apru-undergraduate-leaders%E2%80%99-program Parent: https://employability.uq.edu.au/global-enrichment-experiences

The APRU Undergraduate Leaders’ Program 2026, themed “Future Ready: Leadership in the Age of AI and Robotics”,  invites future leaders from across the Pacific Rim to explore how social robotics and embedded AI will transform human life, industry, and society.

Hosted by Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in Shenzhen, China, the APRU Undergraduate Leaders’ Program 2026 supports emerging undergraduate leaders in becoming real-world change makers by driving awareness, action, and change, supporting them in their academic and personal goals. By providing cultural exchange experiences and unique learning opportunities, APRU seeks to equip the next generation of leaders with the skills they need to contribute to positive change for the betterment of societies worldwide.

Program Highlights

• Participants will be introduced to cutting-edge research and practice in social robotics through workshops led by SUSTech faculty and international experts in design, automation, and human–robot interaction.
• Interdisciplinary design workshops will allow students to collaborate with peers, faculty, and industry designers in developing creative responses to real-world challenges.
• The ethical and social dimensions of artificial intelligence will be explored, addressing questions of trust, transparency, cultural understanding, and the impact of robotics on human life and work.
• Visits to Shenzhen’s leading companies and innovation hubs will expose students to the city’s dynamic robotics and AI ecosystem.
• Cultural immersion activities, excursions around Shenzhen, and peer-to-peer exchange will enrich participants’ perspectives and foster cross-cultural understanding.

Certificate\ A certificate will be issued to each participant upon successful completion of the program.

See full details on the APRU Undergraduate Leaders’ Program 2026 website.

Up to five students from The University of Queensland will be selected for nomination, with the final participants being selected by the APRU Undergraduate Leaders’ Program 2026 Organising Committee.

• Application Process
• Eligibility Criteria
• Costs and Funding

Application Requirements:

Complete the Global Enrichment Experiences application (below) and include::

1. An application statement detailing your:
2. interest and motivation in participating in the experience
3. demonstrated leadership experiences
4. interest in cross-cultural engagement and global issues
5. interest in social robotics, design and the coming wave of technological and social transformation being ushered in by embedded AI
6. what you hope to gain from the program
7. how this experience would benefit your employability
8. UQ studies report (downloaded from mySI-net).

Application Timeline:

Applications will only be accepted through the submission link below.

Apply to UQ

Experience Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to participate in this global enrichment experience, you must:

• be a current UQ undergraduate student
• be of strong academic standing (this will be considered holistically with the rest of the criteria)
• Show a genuine interest in leadership, cross-cultural engagement and global issues, and social robotics, design and AI
• be selected by UQ and nominated
• not due to graduate before the completion of the experience

Exams and assessments

It is your responsibility to ensure that participation in a Global Enrichment Experience does not impact your exams or assessments at UQ. Please be aware that you may not be eligible for deferred or supplementary exams or assessments if there is a conflict.

Costs

The participation mode of this experience is Study Abroad, meaning you are responsible for paying all associated fees directly to the host or via a payment method communicated to you by Global Experiences.

The cost of the program per student is approx. $1,025 AUD (4,680.00 RMB or USD 650.00). The program fee includes:

• Accommodation
• Shuttle bus service during the program
• Field trips and one-day excursion
• Welcome reception and opening ceremony
• Breakfast
• Administrative fees.

All other costs, including flights, visa/entry permit (if required), vaccinations/medical clearance (if required), lunch and eventing meals and discretionary spending, are the responsibility of the participants.

Insurance

Students will be covered by UQ's Corporate Travel Insurance for the duration of the experience. If you plan to travel for a longer duration that the experience covers, or outside the country of the experience, you are liable for the cost of additional travel and health insurance.

Accommodation

Accommodation will be provided by Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) and included in the program fee. Students will be accommodated in the on-campus Guesthouse rather than the student dorms, with the rooms being shared doubles, with standard amenities provided. Further details will be shared with confirmed participants closer to the program dates.

Funding

When you submit your application for an experience, you are automatically considered for funding that is relevant to your nominated experience. Please refer to the Short-Term Experiences Funding page for details.

Please note that funding is not guaranteed even if all selection criteria are met. Funding should not be a factor when developing your budget and should only be considered supplementary financial support if awarded.

Visit the APRU Undergraduate Leaders’ Program 2026 website

Key Dates

Application Deadlines

UQ: 25 February 2026\ Host: 09 March 2026

Program Dates

Start: 22 June 2026\ End: 03 July 2026

Fast Facts

Type: Leadership and Cultural Immersion\ Mode: Study Abroad​\ Location: Shenzhen, China (In-person)\ Credit: Not-for-credit*\ Cohort: Undergraduate

OS-HELP Loan

If you participate in a short-term program you may also be eligible to submit an application for an OS-HELP loan if your program is for-credit and you are enrolled as a Commonwealth supported student.

Application Deadlines

15 January for overseas study commencing March to August\ 15 March for overseas study commencing May to October\ 15 June for overseas study commencing August to January\ 15 September for overseas study commencing November to April

OS-HELP Loan application deadlines may not align with the experience application deadline. Please visit the OS-HELP Loan website for deadline dates as late applications will not be accepted.

Refer to the funding page for more information on eligibility requirements and loan amounts.

Need more information

Contact UQ's Global Experiences by email or phone (+61 7 3443 8649) for more information.