The appointment of 11 cross-sectoral and experienced experts from Australia’s international education sector to its Council for International Education has been welcomed in Australia.
Phil Honeywood, CEO of IEAA and one of the members of the council, praised the new selection (different from the original list of members announced in May by Senator Richard Colbeck) as “truly multi-sectoral”.
Education Minister Simon Birmingham announced the line-up this week as the Australian International Education Conference in Melbourne got underway.
“[Simon Birmingham] has effectively moved to put his stamp on what was going to be a fairly unrepresentative council that was announced prior to the election,” Honeywood told The PIE News.
“We’ve got less of a collection of peak bodies, and more a collection of people who are involved at the coal face, on the front line of international education delivery.”
Universities Australia chief executive Belinda Robinson, English Australia CEO Brett Blacker and CISA president Nina Khairina are among the members of the new council, which will liaise with six government departments.
New appointments to the revamped council include Tracey Horton, incoming chair of Navitas, and Karyn Kent, CEO of StudyAdelaide.
“International education will benefit further from a co-ordinated, national and strategic approach”
They replace the panel of experts appointed to the council by Colbeck, who lost his post as minister for international education and tourism in a reshuffle that followed the federal election in July.
The first role of the council will be to advise on the implementation of the $12m National Strategy for International Education 2025, which was announced in May.
“The council will work with education providers, industry, and federal, state and territory governments to ensure Australia’s international education sector grows sustainably and is future focused, innovative and globally engaged,” said Birmingham, who will chair the council.
“I look forward to working closely with the council to ensure the sector continues to play a key role in driving Australia’s future economic growth, global engagement and social advancement.”
Government ministers with portfolio responsibilities in international education will also join the council, he said.
“While it has been growing in recent years, international education will benefit further from a co-ordinated, national and strategic approach to oversee the next steps in that strategy,” commented Robinson at Universities Australia.
“We cannot afford to be complacent about the significance of international education to our future economic growth, global engagement and collaboration.”
The new council will hold its inaugural meeting in early November.
The full list of appointments to the Council for International Education is:
- Kent Anderson, deputy vice chancellor (community & engagement), University of Western Australia
- Brett Blacker, CEO, English Australia
- Sue Freeman, CEO & managing director, First Impressions Resources
- Phil Honeywood, CEO, International Education Association of Australia
- Tracey Horton, incoming chair, Navitas
- Karyn Kent, CEO, StudyAdelaide
- Nina Khairina, president, Council for International Students Australia
- Gerald Lipman, CEO, International College of Hotel Management
- David Riordan, director of city operations, City of Sydney
- Belinda Robinson, CEO, Universities Australia
- Derek Scott, principal and CEO, Haileybury
