The Christine Bundesen AM Language Teaching Organisation Management Grant, named after and funded by inaugural EA chair Christine Bundesen, will provide middle and upper-middle managers A$1,500 to undertake professional development to further their career path.

The grant will acknowledge work that “may not always be as visible as the work of senior personnel”

“Most grants and awards recognise senior management [and] executive management, but there are so many critical and key people in the middle and upper-middle management area of ELT organisations,” Bundesen told The PIE News.

Bundesen, who previously worked on developing a diploma in LTO management, said she approached EA with the grant as she wanted to give back to the Australian ELICOS sector and recognise the work of managers in areas such as admissions, accommodation, marketing, student services and IT.

Chief executive Brett Blacker said the grant will be a valuable addition to EA’s suite of awards and a unique acknowledgment of the work that “may not always be as visible as the work of senior personnel”.

“We are extremely proud and thankful for the strong connection with Christine and the work she has undertaken in paving the way for the English Australia and the Australian ELICOS sector,” he said.

During her career, Bundesen was a significant figure in Australia’s ELICOS sector and the wider international education industry, playing an integral role in negotiating the first ESOS Act, which set out the legislative framework for the delivery of international education in Australia.

She received the Centenary Medal in 2001 for her contributions to the reforms of the student visa program and was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2012 for ‘service to international education through leadership roles in the field of English Language Teaching’.

The inaugural grant will be awarded at the upcoming EA Conference in Adelaide from September 20-22.