“Our city is changing and so we needed to find a new imagery that better reflects this new city that is attracting students from around the world as an education city,” said Mike Ryan, executive director of Perth Education City (PEC), the government-supported organisation charged with promoting studying in Western Australia’s flagship city.

New branding has been created that is hoped will make an impact on international student perceptions – and with new post-study work rights in situ for graduating students, the timing is canny.

“We came up with very bold colours and chose the name ‘Study Perth Australia’ because it’s time for Perth to step up and take its place as one of the major cities of Australia,” said Ryan. Western Australia’s healthy employment market is one of the assets that the new campaign will promote.

“It’s time for Perth to step up and take its place as one of the major cities of Australia”

Ryan explained that the new campaign puts the focus on the individual learner, highlighting the free schooling offered to dependents of international postgraduate students, the discounted travel concessions and the fact that the state is responsible for 48% of the country’s exports providing 18% of all job vacancies nationally.

Ninety-nine per cent of students who come to the state study within 30km of the Perth city centre. Educators in the area are keen to increase the AUS$1.1 billion international students contribute to Western Australia’s economy.

A brand audit last year revealed that the city’s work opportunities, access to scholarships, climate and tranquility compared with other cities were the reasons why students across all levels of education chose Perth to study.

The state is responsible for 48% of the country’s exports providing 18% of all job vacancies nationally

Ryan agreed that the post-study work rights that went into effect last month are another major selling point. “Many of the students that we speak to have already got this in their sights,” he said.

In addition to a new logo, PEC will launch a new website and record more promotional videos to add to its YouTube page.

Launched in 1987, PEC works with the Western Australia government, education institutions and organisations to be the point of contact for more information about studying in Perth. Of the 53,000 international students who studied in the capital last year, 97% were at one of PEC’s 52 member institutions. China, India and Malaysia provide the largest number of students to the city.