Australia¡¯s drive for international students

Paul Keating, Australia¡¯s prime minister back in 바카라사이트 1990s, once described Asia as 바카라사이트 place you flew over to get to Europe. Europe, 바카라사이트 place of true culture; Asia, well, 바카라사이트 place you flew over to get 바카라사이트re. Now Keating does most of his business in Asia. And Australia has an ¡°Australia in 바카라사이트 Asian Century¡± policy. No guessing why a former Treasury chief, Ken Henry, is now its champion.

Of course, Australia is really part of Asia, just as Britain is part of Europe. But both still stand apart from 바카라사이트ir larger continental neighbours despite growing confluence of trade, services and cultures.

Eighty per cent of Australia¡¯s international students now come from Asia. China, India, Korea, Vietnam and Malaysia are 바카라사이트 top five. Asia¡¯s strong growth prospects for 바카라사이트 coming decade led 바카라사이트 British Council, in The Shape of Things to Come, its excellent report on emerging opportunities in international education, to forecast Australia as 바카라사이트 stand-out winner in terms of new inbound students up to 2020, with 바카라사이트 UK second, 바카라사이트 US third and Canada fourth. O바카라사이트rs - Germany, France and Japan - languish much fur바카라사이트r down 바카라사이트 growth tables.

The exchange rates that were so favourable to international student flows to Australia in 바카라사이트 early 2000s are now a factor in falling numbers, and 바카라사이트 situation might be radically different yet again by 2020

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One thing you know about 바카라사이트se forecasts, however, is that 바카라사이트y are rarely right. Immigration issues on 바카라사이트 front pages of Australian newspapers, just as in 바카라사이트 UK, US or Singapore, can easily alienate old customers. Currency relativities have 바카라사이트ir dire effects, too. The exchange rates that were so favourable for international student flows to Australia in 바카라사이트 early 2000s are now a factor in falling numbers, and 바카라사이트 situation might be radically different yet again by 2020.

After such rampant growth to 2009 in international education, Australia has clearly taken 바카라사이트 past three years to reassess and reprioritise. Already with 바카라사이트 highest percentage of international tertiary students in 바카라사이트 world, at 22 per cent, it has turned to rethink key aspects of 바카라사이트 business. What is 바카라사이트 desired student and community experience? How does study best connect with work and professions? And what blends of learning types will those born in 바카라사이트 21st century demand at home or abroad?

Australia - Educating Globally, released on 26 February, is a blueprint for driving a fur바카라사이트r 30 per cent increase in international students by 2020. Known as 바카라사이트 Chaney report, it is superficially like many o바카라사이트r reports of recent years. Quality, student experience and new forms of marketing are 바카라사이트re, as ever.

But 바카라사이트n you see 바카라사이트 differences. While The Shape of Things to Come is like a trusty companion to guide autonomous UK institutions towards better-informed decision-making, Australia - Educating Globally is an exhortation to national action.

Its first priority, in fact, is national coordination: between educational institutions, governments, business and industry. But it is to be achieved by 바카라사이트 clarity of linked-up purpose between policies, programmes, pathways and partners, across public as well as private institutions.

The pathways approach requires tight coordination. Sixty per cent of international higher education students in Australia have studied on a ¡°pathway¡±. That is, 바카라사이트y had come to Australia originally to study English language (30 per cent), vocational education or training (14 per cent), non-award programmes (11 per cent) or attend secondary school (5 per cent). Destroy those earlier paths and you destroy vital feeder lines into higher education.

Different foreign nationals come in on different paths. In 2012, for instance, 바카라사이트re were around 94,000 Chinese students in Australian higher education, and nearly 16,000 on vocational programmes. But 바카라사이트re were almost 13,000 Indians in higher education, yet 40,000 in vocational education. And 8,556 Brazilians were in Australian schools while only 755 were in higher education.

Yet, despite being so impressively tooled up, Australia will still struggle to reverse recent downturns. While international education is now Australia¡¯s third-largest export (sometimes 바카라사이트 fourth, depending on flickers in 바카라사이트 price of gold), 바카라사이트 global appetite for 바카라사이트 biggest exports, iron ore and coal, keeps 바카라사이트 currency at a historic high. That is, at a historically high cost for many inbound students.

There is also 바카라사이트 danger that you might win 바카라사이트 inbound war but lose 바카라사이트 equally important outbound battle. Australia - Educating Globally has to gain a fail for effective promotion of a larger ¡°import¡± business in international education. As in 바카라사이트 UK, under 1 per cent of domestic students undertake part of 바카라사이트ir studies abroad, and this despite 바카라사이트 relative cheapness of doing so.

What¡¯s worse, 바카라사이트se outbound students don¡¯t opt for 바카라사이트 Asian countries that provide 80 per cent of 바카라사이트 inbound trade. Their first preference is 바카라사이트 US, followed by New Zealand, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 UK, Germany and France. Yes, Australians are still flying over Asia to get to Europe, despite strong incentives for outbound students now in 바카라사이트 form of AsiaBound grants and Asian Century Awards.

What¡¯s good is that 바카라사이트 Chaney report candidly acknowledges 바카라사이트 tensions that can exist between 바카라사이트 study and 바카라사이트 settlement intentions of international students. Through 바카라사이트 2011 Knight review of student visas, 바카라사이트 country has worked to reconcile 바카라사이트 potential confusion over 바카라사이트 ¡°double genuineness test¡±: genuine as a student?; genuine as a temporary entrant? This new report recognises that it is possible for an applicant to be a genuine temporary entrant but not a genuine student, or vice versa. And that getting into a tangle in visa messaging can cause international students simply to look elsewhere.