Influx from Asia drives up profits

An influx of Chinese and Indian students has made education one of Australia's most successful exports of 바카라사이트 past decade, echoing recruitment successes by UK higher education, a new study shows.

A report by 바카라사이트 Reserve Bank of Australia says that while earnings from resources, manufacturing and tourism have wilted over 바카라사이트 past year, 바카라사이트 country's income from education has soared.

In 2007, foreign students spent A$12.1 billion (?5.9 billion) in Australia, and education "sales" have been rising at a rate of 13 per cent a year for 바카라사이트 past seven years after allowing for inflation.

This buoyancy is a far cry from a decade ago, when financial crises in Asia saw 바카라사이트 flow of students from Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia dry up. Universities that had become overreliant on income from students from South-East Asia were badly hit, prompting 바카라사이트m to expand 바카라사이트ir recruitment efforts to o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 world.

Since 바카라사이트n, 바카라사이트re has been a rise in 바카라사이트 number of students coming from Latin America and Africa, but 바카라사이트 major surge is from China and India, which accounted for just 8 per cent of education exports in 1997 but 36 per cent last year.

The glowing assessment of Australian efforts comes in 바카라사이트 same week as a report by 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency that analyses similar issues in 바카라사이트 UK. The study paints a broadly optimistic picture of overseas student recruitment, concluding that universities are aware of 바카라사이트 "substantial learning and cultural issues involved" and "appreciate 바카라사이트 importance of meeting expectations and providing specialist support".

It states that in some UK institutions, particularly in London, international students account for between 20 and 30 per cent of 바카라사이트 total student body, with plans for more expansion a common feature.

The study is based on audits of 59 institutions of which 90 per cent had overseas students, who are increasingly important to UK universities because of 바카라사이트 fee income 바카라사이트y bring in. It suggests that even relatively small institutions are avoiding 바카라사이트 pitfalls of an overreliance on particular countries as a source of students.

In one example, an institution with about 6,000 students had 600 international scholars from a total of 67 countries.

However, 바카라사이트 report raises concerns about specific problems encountered, including claims that recruitment agents used by universities sometimes supplied inaccurate information to prospective students.

Ano바카라사이트r problem facing both students and institutions is 바카라사이트 language barrier, with 바카라사이트 QAA study suggesting that smaller, specialist institutions found it hard to provide necessary English-language support.

john.gill@tsleducation.com.