Applications have opened for the Northern Territory Government’s Chief Minister’s Study Tour 2027, offering eight Year 9 students the opportunity to travel to Okinawa, Japan, and explore history, culture and future career pathways.
The fully funded study tour will take place in June 2027 and follows the inaugural programme held earlier this year under the theme ‘Shared history, shared future’.
Students selected for the programme will visit historic sites including the Okinawa Peace Memorial Museum and the Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters. The itinerary will also include cultural and educational experiences designed to help students understand Australia’s military history in the region and Japan’s place in the wider Indo-Pacific.
The programme will expose students to career opportunities across areas including defence, international relations, diplomacy and related industries. Students will also have opportunities to engage with people working in these fields and develop their understanding of leadership, diplomacy, critical thinking and cultural awareness.
Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said the first study tour had given students the chance to learn outside the classroom and gain a different perspective on their future.
“The first Study Tour was a fantastic success,” Finocchiaro said, adding that she had enjoyed hearing from participants about what they learned and how the experience influenced the way they viewed their future.
“Now we’re giving another group of young Territorians the opportunity to take their learning beyond the classroom and experience our region first-hand.”
Students who participated in the 2026 tour have encouraged others to apply. Tallula Van Der Mark said being outside the classroom changed how she viewed global issues, while Ramneet Gill described the experience as one she would remember throughout her school years.
Jack McDonald, another participant, encouraged future applicants to step outside their comfort zones, experience new things and take the opportunity to understand different perspectives.
The 2027 competition is open to Northern Territory students currently in Year 9 who have an interest in areas such as defence, history, international relations, leadership or the Indo-Pacific.
Eight students will be selected for the fully funded tour and will travel with chaperones who will provide supervision, support and mentoring throughout the programme.
Applications close on 19 October 2026.
More information is available through the Northern Territory Government’s Defence website.
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