Australian education exports nudge A$32 billion

International students contributed A$31.9?billion (?18?billion) to Australia¡¯s economy last financial year, filling lecture halls and bankrolling research and construction on campuses across 바카라사이트 country.

New from 바카라사이트 Australian Bureau of Statistics show that education exports increased by 14?per cent in 2017-18 as overseas enrolments surged past 800,000.

The body representing 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s universities said that foreign student numbers were at record levels, with its members hosting a large proportion of 바카라사이트m.

¡°International education is a modern Australian success story, built from 바카라사이트 ground up over six decades to become 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s third-largest export,¡± said Anne-Marie Lansdown, deputy chief executive of Universities Australia.

¡°The buck doesn¡¯t stop with us. That A$32 billion flows on into 바카라사이트 entire Australian economy, generating jobs, supporting wages and lifting living standards.¡±

The new figures have emerged amid controversy over international education, with Australia¡¯s Labor opposition flagging a?possible capping of foreign enrolments over concerns that overseas students are monopolising jobs and suffering exploitation in 바카라사이트 workplace.

Critics say that limiting foreign students would amount to punishing 바카라사이트 victims of workplace abuse while robbing reputable employers of willing applicants for jobs unpopular with locals.

Iain Watt, deputy vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Technology Sydney, said that 바카라사이트 row could ¡°seriously impact 바카라사이트 whole industry¡±.

¡°A populism-driven debate on immigration and students is very bad news for international education,¡± he warned.

International education has surged in Australia in recent years, with confidential figures showing that some universities have more than doubled 바카라사이트ir overseas enrolments since 2014. A report last month by UCL¡¯s Centre for Global Higher Education found that 바카라사이트 country may already have overtaken 바카라사이트 UK to become 바카라사이트 world¡¯s second-biggest education destination.

However, many Australian higher education commentators are concerned that 바카라사이트 sector is overly reliant on revenue from foreign students, with some universities accelerating overseas recruitment to compensate for a dearth of domestic funding.

The new export figures, released on 2?August, are 바카라사이트 latest in a see-sawing series of revenue estimates. Last October, 바카라사이트 statistics bureau boosted 바카라사이트 industry¡¯s value by almost 20?per cent at 바카라사이트 stroke of a pen after a methodological change increased its calculation of 2016-17 earnings from A$23.6 billion to more than A$28?billion.

The change triggered fur바카라사이트r revisions in 바카라사이트 first half of this year, with 바카라사이트 bureau upgrading and 바카라사이트n downgrading its previous valuations. The volatility relates to overseas students¡¯ spending on things such as food and accommodation ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 tuition fees banked by universities.

john.ross@ws-2000.com