Queensland University of Technology statistics student Joseph Kelly is counting his blessings after receiving a royal seal of approval from Denmark's Princess Mary.
Joseph met the popular princess on Anzac Day in Denmark where she officially presented him with a Crown Princess Mary Scholarship which provides $2200 (DKK 10,000) toward his exchange studies at the University of Copenhagen.
The 19-year-old from Cannon Hill in Brisbane is studying mathematics and statistics at QUT but is spending six months in Copenhagen on a student exchange.
"The princess was really great - she made me feel very welcome and asked me a lot about my studies and the differences between Denmark and Brisbane," he said.
The Crown Princess Mary Scholarship Program was introduced last year to help exchange students from Australia - the princess's home country - and was a wedding gift to her from the University of Copenhagen.
Two scholarships are handed out each year to students from Australian exchange partner institutions, such as QUT, to help them support themselves while living in Denmark.
This year's second recipient is University of Tasmania student Danielle Conlan.
Joseph said he'd been made to feel very welcome in Copenhagen, thanks to a royal boost to Australia's popularity.
"It's great being an Aussie in Denmark - everyone is really nice," he said.
"I had a radio interview with the main radio station over here about what it's like to live in Australia and the presenter cracked a few jokes about how we all claim the new prince to be Australian when he is really Danish.
"Another bonus about living in Denmark is the location. I've already been to Oslo and Stockholm and during spring break I went to Berlin, Prague, Vienna and Bratislava."
Joseph said he could really recommend the QUT exchange program.
"It's a great way to see the world and learn about another culture whilst still studying towards your degree," he said.
Joseph plans to visit Italy and France on his way home to Australia where he will resume his QUT studies in July.
The Crown Princess Mary Scholarship is Joseph's second scholarship. At QUT, he is studying under the university's prestigious Dean's Scholar program which is open to the state's highest-achieving school leavers.
Joseph is studying mathematics/statistics with QUT's Faculty of Science and expects to finish his studies early next year.
"After my studies at QUT I am contemplating either entering into an actuarial (insurance risk statistics) program in Brisbane or perhaps doing a masters at either QUT or a university in London," he said.
Media contact: Mechelle Webb, QUT media officer, 07 3864 4494 or ml.webb@qut.edu.au
