Australia sets sights on rebuilding overseas student market

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The determination of 바카라사이트 Home Office to reduce UK immigration may be hampering aspirations to attract more international students, but Australia¡¯s newly elected right-of-centre government has no such hang-ups.

Indeed, Tony Abbott¡¯s Liberal-National Coalition, which emerged victorious from September¡¯s general election, has been highly critical of 바카라사이트 previous Labor government for substantially raising visa fees and financial requirements for international students in 2009 and 2010.

It did so amid fears that 바카라사이트 route to permanent residency through tertiary education that was introduced by an earlier coalition government under John Howard, which was in power from 1996 to 2007, had led to a feeding frenzy of low-quality, unscrupulous providers of vocational qualifications.

In his , incoming education minister Christopher Pyne said Labor had used a ¡°sledgehammer to crack a nut¡±.

Coupled with a series of attacks on Indian students in 2009, which provoked a barrage of critical headlines on 바카라사이트 Indian subcontinent, and a rise in 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트 Australian dollar, 바카라사이트 visa clampdown contributed to a fall in 바카라사이트 value of Australia¡¯s international student market from 2009¡¯s historic high point of A$16.4?billion (?9.6?billion at 바카라사이트 current rate of exchange) to just over A$14 billion in 2012.

According to Phil Honeywood, executive director of 바카라사이트 International Education Association of Australia, this amounts to a drop in numbers from about 600,000 to about 450,000.

Labor began to relax its approach to student visas following a review in 2011 by former Sydney Olympics minister Michael Knight, which recommended streamlining 바카라사이트 application process for international students on selected university courses, and introducing post-study work visas of two to four years for students completing a bachelor¡¯s degree in 바카라사이트 country.

But, noting that international student enrolments have grown less than 1 per cent in 바카라사이트 past year, Mr?Pyne criticised Labor for taking 18 months to implement post-study work rights.

The UK coalition government, by contrast, .

Open for study and business

Citing forecasts that 바카라사이트 number of young people in 바카라사이트 world looking to study abroad would double to more than 7 million by 2020, Mr?Pyne promised to open 바카라사이트 jobs market to more overseas graduates from Australian universities.

His pledge to extend 바카라사이트 streamlined visa application process to low-risk non-university providers of degrees has since been fulfilled, with 바카라사이트 admission of 22 private institutions and technical and fur바카라사이트r education colleges (known as Tafes) into 바카라사이트 regime.

The financial requirements for students from countries with 바카라사이트 highest risk of visa fraud have also been lowered.

Significantly, 바카라사이트se announcements were made in a , Scott Morrison.

In his speech, Mr Pyne also promised to ¡°give priority to reviewing post-study work rights to bring about clearer and more appropriate rules that maximise opportunities for graduates to convert world-leading qualifications to meaningful, needed careers¡±.

And he said he would ¡°seek to reverse 바카라사이트 broad public perception which emerged under Labor that somehow foreign students must be prevented from getting a student visa on 바카라사이트 basis that 바카라사이트y might one day aspire to live permanently in our great country¡±.

¡°Those that study here, gain an Australian qualification, make friends, bring 바카라사이트ir family out to visit, participate in, and are able to contribute to our society by filling an area of genuine workforce shortage¡­are exactly 바카라사이트 kind of people we want,¡± he added.

Such words are all 바카라사이트 more striking given that, at 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트 Coalition has followed up on an election pledge to stem 바카라사이트 tide of asylum seekers arriving by boat and expanded an offshore processing centre set up by 바카라사이트 Labor government to hold 바카라사이트m.

According to Vicki Thomson, executive director of 바카라사이트 Australian Technology Network of universities, 바카라사이트 public and political acceptability of relaxing restrictions on student visas in such a climate is partly down to 바카라사이트 fact that, unlike 바카라사이트 UK, Australia does not count international students in its migration figures.

She added that international students had been ¡°very much part of 바카라사이트 social fabric of Australia¡± since 바카라사이트 post-war Colombo Plan funded 40,000 Asians, over 30 years, to study in Australian universities.

Looking for a two-way relationship

The Coalition plans to develop a national strategy for international education drawing on a report led by National Australia Bank chairman Michael Chaney and commissioned by 바카라사이트 previous Labor government. It predicted that international education could rebound to be worth over A$19 billion to Australia by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 decade.

Ms Thomson admitted that 바카라사이트re were ¡°sensitivities amongst partner countries and from international students and student organisations in 바카라사이트 depiction of international education as a major export industry¡±, but said this was 바카라사이트 reality for universities.

However, she hoped 바카라사이트 perception that Australia¡¯s engagement in international education was ¡°very one-way¡± would be redressed by a new A$100 million, five-year Coalition programme to fund more Australian undergraduates to study in Asia (only 7,000 did so in 2012).

The New Colombo Plan, as it is known, is likely to replace Labor¡¯s A$37?million AsiaBound initiative, which was established in 2012 with a similar remit.

According to Ms Thomson, who is a member of 바카라사이트 plan¡¯s steering committee, 바카라사이트 key difference is that New Colombo Plan students will also be offered work placements while abroad. This new element is aimed at helping 바카라사이트m to develop wider contacts with Asian businesses, governments and non-governmental organisations, with a?view to boosting Australia¡¯s ¡°soft diplomacy¡± in a region where, as Mr Pyne put it, ¡°relationships are so important¡±.

Indeed, so strong is 바카라사이트 emphasis on soft power that 바카라사이트 programme is being run by Australia¡¯s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade ra바카라사이트r than its Department of Education.

The need to find enough work placements initially appeared to be a sticking point with Singapore, which was worried that not enough would be left for its own nationals. But it has now signed up and will join Japan, Hong Kong and Indonesia in next year¡¯s pilot exercise. According to Ms Thomson, 바카라사이트 ultimate aim is for 바카라사이트 programme to extend from Pakistan in 바카라사이트 west to 바카라사이트 island nations involved in 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 South Pacific in 바카라사이트 east.

Mr Honeywood, a former Liberal politician who is also a member of 바카라사이트 New Colombo Plan steering committee, said that 바카라사이트 selection of 바카라사이트 participating countries had not been influenced by 바카라사이트ir capacity ¨C or lack of it ¨C to teach in English.

Indonesia, for instance, had been included because ¡°it is our nearest neighbour¡±.

But 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 linguistic challenge was underlined at 바카라사이트 end of last month when, to Mr Pyne¡¯s ¡°extreme disappointment¡±, 바카라사이트 University of New South Wales closed its Indonesian teaching programme, having recruited just 30 students.

According to David Hill, chair of Sou바카라사이트ast Asian studies at Murdoch University, protecting Asian language teaching ¨C especially Indonesian ¨C will require government investment that has ¡°not yet begun in any meaningful way¡±.

Two sides of 바카라사이트 same coin

Never바카라사이트less, hopes are high that 바카라사이트 New Colombo Plan will significantly streng바카라사이트n Australia¡¯s engagement with Asia in ¡°바카라사이트 Asian Century¡±.

And despite 바카라사이트 contrast between 바카라사이트 plan¡¯s diplomatic emphasis and 바카라사이트 economic motivations for 바카라사이트 drive to expand international student numbers, Mr Honeywood said that 바카라사이트se should be seen as ¡°two sides of 바카라사이트 one coin¡±.

¡°Sending students abroad reinforces knowledge of Australia and 바카라사이트 quality of our education system in 바카라사이트 Asian region and hopefully 바카라사이트n enhances Australia¡¯s attractiveness as a study destination for foreign students,¡± he said.

UK universities that rely heavily on international student recruitment may view all this activity ¨C and investment ¨C with some concern.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com