Australasia

The Group of Eight university will begin classes in Chennai on October 19, completing the initial launch of an AUD $80m India expansion spanning two cities.

Australia has confirmed that new restrictions limiting when international students can bring dependants into the country are now in force, with assistant minister for international education Julian Hill revealing the timing and further details of the government’s wider migration reforms.

Universities Australia will take on the chancellors’ council’s work and add three chancellor directors to its board ahead of new national standards.

Australia is squeezing access to dependant visas as the government moves to reduce net overseas migration, with wider questions emerging over its student migration settings and 295,000 student intake target.

The Group of Eight university says affordability, mobility and industry links will distinguish its Mumbai and Chennai campuses, but demand and graduate outcomes remain untested.

Tony Burke's migration reforms show why, in international education, signals travel faster than policy.

Australia’s new rules will also tighten course transfers and study progression, with education leaders warning that genuine students could choose competitor destinations.

On stage at EAIE, Phil Honeywood, CEO of the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA), offered a candid assessment of a system being reshaped by visa policy, as well as an insight into a rebranded national “vision”.

New Zealand’s international education recovery is being driven by a shift in how students view the destination, rather than simply a post-pandemic rebound, according to Education New Zealand chief executive David Downs.

Australia’s opposition One Nation party has pledged to deliver net-negative migration during the first three years of a One Nation government, including a cut of more than 750,000 temporary visas.

Universities Australia has called on the Albanese government to extend concession cards to all domestic university students and provide international students with equal access to public transport discounts, as rising living costs put increasing pressure on students.

New Zealand’s international education sector has pushed export earnings to NZ$4.98 billion, surpassing its pre-pandemic value and putting the government’s longer-term growth target within clearer reach.