Australia

The state of Victoria in Australia has acknowledged the contribution of its leading universities, colleges, and language schools, international students, businesses and not-for-profit organisations as it celebrated the 2014 Victorian International Education Awards last week.

The Australian government has allocated AUS$16.5m of funding available to over 5,000 Australian students to support their study abroad experiences, enhance their future job prospects and help Australia build ties with overseas institutions, following an announcement this week by Minister for Education, Christopher Pyne.

Leading Australia-based English language school BROWNS has announced the launch of a new AUS$1.5m professional business school aimed at international students intent on a pathway to further academic studies or jobs in Brisbane and further afield. The school will open next month and is aiming for 100 students in its first year.

Australia’s Prime Minister is keen to see “hundreds and thousands” of its students studying at Indian universities, he said at the launch of Australia’s Indo-Pacific study abroad initiative, the New Colombo Plan, in India this week. India will be one of 35 countries to welcome Australian undergraduates from 2015 through the programme.

The Hobsons’ Good Universities Guide 2015 rates Australian universities based on graduates' ability to get a full-time job, starting salary and overall student satisfaction. It also provides information on fields of study, showing business and management degrees were the most popular among foreign undergrads.

All 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will join Australia’s New Colombo Plan, which funds undergraduates to study and do internships in the region, from 2015. The Australian government has committed AUS$100m to fund the project over the next five years, which Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says will build friendship and understanding "for generations to come".

A first-of-its-kind report by the Australian Trade Commission reveals the first six months of the year have seen an 11.5% increase on January to June 2013, with green shoots being seen in the ailing VET sector and notable growth from most source markets.

The government in Victoria, Australia’s second most popular state for international students, has launched a Study Melbourne Student Centre to be an “one-stop-shop” for information on government programmes as well as health, legal and financial services for international students.

Australia's growth story for 2014 rolls on as a monthly enrolment and commencement report shows a 10% increase in full-fee paying international students on May last year. Notably, the VET sector saw a year to date 13% increase in commencements after a 5.9% increase in enrolments. This is good news after 2013 results showed continued attrition.

The Australian government has recently held training days for Brazilian education agents in order to ensure they are up to date on Australia's education sector, national branding and visa procedures. Workshops were held in the country's southern region in Curitiba and Florianopolis.

Global education provider Navitas is set to acquire California-based creative media college Ex’pression for US$13 million. The deal will be completed through the company’s media education subsidiary, SAE Institute Group. With campuses near San Francisco and San Jose, the move will double SAE’s locations in the state.

Australia's higher education sector was responsible for almost 70% of its total international education exports in 2013, data released by the Ministry of Education has shown. International education activity contributed $15 billion to Australia's economy in 2013, up 3.8% on the previous year's $14.5 billion.

Australia’s Department of Immigration and Border Protection has recently announced that it will accept Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) and TOEFL iBT scores for a number of work visas from November 2014, including sub-classes relating to Temporary Graduates and Work and Holiday visa holders.

Following its strong start to 2014 for international education, the Australian government has announced plans to extend Streamlined Visa Processing (SVP) to students applying to enrol in Advanced Diploma level courses at low immigration risk providers.

Australia’s Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey announced last week “once-in-a-generation” reforms to the university funding system that will cut the commonwealth’s contribution toward course fees by on average 20%, saving the country AUS$1.9 billion, and fully deregulating student fees from January 2016.