Policy

Making good on campaign promises to prioritise international education, Australia's Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Scott Morrison and Minister for Education Christopher Pyne have announced that the government will extend streamlined visa processing (SVP) to 22 undisclosed private education providers. Other measures are also being reviewed.

Australia's Impact English College has been recognised as one of Victoria's leading exporters in the English Language Training (ELT) with a Governor of Victoria Export Award (GOVEA) Commendation in the Education and Training category. Monash University was the overall winner in the category.

As the UK's HE sector shifts to a more demand-driven system, regulation needs to be greatly improved in order to protect students from failing universities which could threaten the UK's global reputation, according to the Higher Education Commission. A tuition assurance scheme to protect students is among its central recommendations.

The state of Victoria in Australia has unveiled a significant AUD$17.5 million international education strategy. Transport concessions for metropolitan and regional Victoria will now be offered; new Education Services Managers will be appointed in Latin America, Indonesia and China, and 150 internships will be made available among 19 initiatives.

A new ordinance from India could help foreign universities set up branch campuses as non-profit companies and issue government-recognised foreign degrees for the first time – without any form of partnerships between itself and a local higher education institutions.

Four Asian countries have officially signed on to take part in the pilot of Australia's outbound mobility programme The New Colombo plan. This week the government and university sector have also launched a website aimed at providing Australian students with information on student mobility programmes and available financial aid.

University leaders across Latin America called for greater regional collaboration and greater governmental support to develop internationalisation strategies in the continent's higher education sector at the third annual Conference of the Americas on International Education in Monterrey, Mexico last week.

Britain’s message around international education is focusing on quality and not quantity and threatening Britain’s share of international students, according to the CEO of Sannam S4, an India-based company helping UK institutions recruit in India and China.

While the Australian sector was pleased to hear new Minister Christopher Pyne speaking of the "tremendous zeal" for rebuilding the international education sector, the CEO of peak body ACPET has drawn attention to rumours that only 20 of 90 eligible providers beyond universities may benefit from Streamlined Visa Processing (SVP).

London's Mayor has unveiled a new Chinese language website designed to showcase London as a tourist and study destination to China’s 600 million internet users. The targeted London promotion comes amid a government trade mission that has brought good news about simplified visa processes for Chinese visitors to the UK.

Australia's newly elected Education Minister Christopher Pyne told AIEC delegates this week that he will launch a national strategy to "rebuild" the sector that will include reviewing post-study work rights and Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirements.

A new Immigration Bill introduced in the UK that intends to make it harder for immigrants to overstay – via landlord checks and an NHS levy – has been criticised by those in the sector who believe the bill will do nothing to improve the UK's reputation with international students as a welcoming country.

Unlimited work rights for PhD and Masters students; relaxed work rules for English language learners and a pilot fast-track visa scheme are among bold changes announced this week in New Zealand. The changes also sharpen the quality oversight of education providers by preventing the lowest quality providers from recruiting internationally.

After a long series of delays, Pakistan is edging closer to building its 705 acre knowledge city, an “interactive area for universities, research institutions and the IT industry,” that will be modelled on Dubai's Knowledge Village. Punjab's current Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif is set to invest in land and human resources as well as invite international universities to partner with it.

Less than a month after Australia's newly elected coalition government has taken power, party leaders have wasted no time in prioritising international education marketing, reducing regulatory red tape and reviewing post-study work policies.