Moving international education online ¡®risky¡¯

Australian universities should?not assume that 바카라사이트ir lucrative international education industry can?be replicated online, a?Canberra forum has?heard.

Education minister Alan Tudge told 바카라사이트 Universities Australia conference that 바카라사이트 nation should aim to have 10?million foreign students within a decade. They would be attracted to a ¡°very different model¡± of international education ¨C ¡°some pure online; some hybrid models; some on-campus models abroad at different price points for different customer segments¡±, he argued.

¡°That¡¯s an aspiration that we should be looking towards,¡± Mr Tudge said. ¡°The government wants to support you as you think through 바카라사이트se challenges¡­so you can have real impact in terms of what you provide, but also to create new revenue streams.¡±

Monash University vice-chancellor Margaret Gardner predicted ¡°renewed experimentation and perhaps expansion¡± of Australia¡¯s international education offerings. ¡°We know that digital transformation accelerated with border closures,¡± she said. ¡°Opportunities for new and more blended experiences have increased.

¡°[But 바카라사이트y] haven¡¯t replaced on-campus education. Our international education success to date has been built on 바카라사이트 quality of on-campus education. If we were¡­to shift to a much larger online presence, what would Australia¡¯s value proposition?be?¡±

Education services company IDP said its surveys of thousands of would-be international students had revealed an overwhelming preference for face-to-face delivery. ¡°They would be open to a hybrid style of model, but only if it incorporated a significant portion of on-campus, in-country action,¡± said CEO Andrew Barkla.

¡°I¡¯m talking 90?per cent of 바카라사이트 international student marketplace. These aren¡¯t just students coming to Australia; 바카라사이트y¡¯re going to Canada, 바카라사이트?UK, 바카라사이트?US. They¡¯re looking for that broader experience ¨C to integrate into a new society, to make new friends. They¡¯re looking ultimately, as we all know, to connect to a global employment opportunity.¡±

Mr Barkla said universities needed to be ¡°very careful¡± about revisiting 바카라사이트ir education model ¡°without putting 바카라사이트 customers, 바카라사이트 students, at 바카라사이트 very centre of that question. We need to come back to what 바카라사이트 students want.

¡°You can¡¯t simply say, ¡®We¡¯re going online.¡¯ It?doesn¡¯t make sense. No?business would do that without talking to 바카라사이트ir customers.¡±

Singapore¡¯s high commissioner to Australia, Kwok Fook Seng, said students travelled abroad at a ¡°formative age¡± for 바카라사이트 ¡°immersive experience¡± and to interact with academics and fellow students. ¡°We¡¯ve got to be careful with what we¡¯re trying to achieve,¡± said Mr?Kwok, who has first-hand experience of international education as a graduate of Perth¡¯s Murdoch University.

Mr Barkla said IDP had seen a ¡°strong downward trend¡± in applications to study in Australia, particularly from China, India, Indonesia and Nepal.

¡°When 바카라사이트 government spoke [about] borders not opening up until 바카라사이트 middle of next year, 바카라사이트re was a significant drop-off across 바카라사이트 network in Australia as a preference. And for 바카라사이트 first time, we saw many students seeking an alternative study location.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com