Beginning next Thursday 2nd April in Townsville Austrade will commence a series of consultations workshops around the country to develop a long term international education market development strategy for the next decade. Austrade's plan, Australian International Education (AIE) 2025, will focus on Austrade's specific remit, to assist education providers and other organisations to maximise their potential in growing their international education business. The consultation workshops will provide an update on development of the plan thus far, an opportunity to listen to the sector's views on further development of that plan and a forum for participants' to discuss challenges to and opportunities for future growth. Trade Minister Andrew Robb in the Higher Education Supplement on Wednesday wrote that he has asked Austrade to "work with the international education sector this year, including with non-traditional players, to develop a long-term market development strategy out to 2025 ... (complementing) ... the work of federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne, who is finalising a broader national strategy for the international education sector." He posited that Australia could teach up to 10 million students in the region in the next 10 years "if we adopt a wide range of different models across higher education, vocational education and training and secondary levels." That's some sort of challenge for the sector. But it could mean that education could challenge for the position of Australia's #1 export if we approach anywhere near those sort of numbers. To achieve this, we need to be thinking about innovation and disruptive technologies, not just standard modes of interaction and delivery.
The UK, Canada and New Zealand have all released international education strategies in the past two years, in each case with a focus on increasing international student enrolments. Competition for international students, those who travel overseas for their education and those who access international education at home, is intense and can only be expected to become more so, and not only from our traditional rivals. We need a plan if we are to compete successfully, and we need a coordinated approach to business and market development. Sounds to me like the Chaney recommendations are starting to be implemented. Imagine being part of a country whose major contribution to the world is education and education opportunities, instead of coal and iron ore.
I'd like to see that.
The UK, Canada and New Zealand have all released international education strategies in the past two years, in each case with a focus on increasing international student enrolments. Competition for international students, those who travel overseas for their education and those who access international education at home, is intense and can only be expected to become more so, and not only from our traditional rivals. We need a plan if we are to compete successfully, and we need a coordinated approach to business and market development. Sounds to me like the Chaney recommendations are starting to be implemented. Imagine being part of a country whose major contribution to the world is education and education opportunities, instead of coal and iron ore.
I'd like to see that.
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