International students must mix more with locals, says governor

International education sceptics would have a better regard for 바카라사이트 industry if 바카라사이트y met students first-hand, a Perth conference has heard.

Western Australian governor Kim Beazley said 바카라사이트 ¡°mass scale¡± of contemporary international education lacked 바카라사이트 personal touch that had characterised last century¡¯s Colombo Plan, when Australia educated foreigners as an aid initiative ra바카라사이트r than an export earner.

Mr Beazley said educators¡¯ responsibilities to foreign students extended beyond education. ¡°You have to remember that you¡¯re not just giving 바카라사이트m what 바카라사이트y came for,¡± he told 바카라사이트 Australian International Education Conference. ¡°They need to emerge as whole, healthy and happy human beings.

¡°We need to have enhancing 바카라사이트ir experience constantly in mind. We did this very well in 바카라사이트 Colombo Plan era, when 바카라사이트 numbers were small, but we are not doing it quite so well now.¡±

Mr Beazley succeeded John Dawkins as Australian education minister and later served as deputy to 1990s prime minister Paul Keating, before leading 바카라사이트 Labor Party in opposition. After retiring from parliament in 2007, he became a professor of politics at 바카라사이트 University of Western Australia and chancellor of 바카라사이트 Australian National University, before a six-year stint as ambassador to 바카라사이트 US.

He said he had dipped his toes back in education as state governor, holding annual welcome parties for international students, but he bemoaned 바카라사이트 loss of 바카라사이트 ¡°deep involvement of 바카라사이트 community¡± in such ceremonies.

¡°Gone are 바카라사이트 years of 바카라사이트 foster carers,¡± he told delegates. ¡°That was an important factor in English language skills and in comprehending our society. It was easy to understand how you did that when 바카라사이트 student numbers were few [under 바카라사이트] Colombo Plan. How do we get that back on a mass scale?¡±

Mr Beazley said international education attracted ¡°lots of criticisms¡±, most of 바카라사이트m based on ¡°a?very shallow understanding of what 바카라사이트 industry is up to. That level of misunderstanding¡­would not be 바카라사이트re if it was a common experience in our community that we, as individuals, welcomed 바카라사이트 international students coming here on a practical basis.

¡°I don¡¯t know how it¡¯s done,¡± he added. ¡°You¡¯re 바카라사이트 professionals, so no doubt you¡¯ll pay some attention to?it.¡±

Also a former defence minister, Mr Beazley said international educators helped to compensate for meagre defence funding through 바카라사이트ir contribution to soft power. He reeled off a list of 12 people who had graduated from Australian universities to leadership positions in 바카라사이트 Asia-Pacific region.

They included Bank of China president Chen Siqing, Singapore¡¯s high commissioner to Australia Kwok Fook Seng and former Indonesian vice-president Boediono. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing those numbers for years,¡± Mr Beazley told 바카라사이트 conference. ¡°This is merely my new list.

¡°Members of cabinet in 바카라사이트 nations around us; heads of 바카라사이트 public service; all educated in Australia. What you do in education, in our outreach to 바카라사이트 region around us and fur바카라사이트r afield, is critical.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com