Australasia

A research project has been launched that could lead to student loans for university students in Australia being extended to international students for the first time. Those in charge say the move could revive Australia's education exports sector.

International students are reported to have been making crude death threats to teachers who give them bad grades in Australia, throwing academic ability into the spotlight...

Despite the great expectations surrounding visa reforms introduced in September, Australia still has a way to go before it halts its recruitment downslide, after latest figures indicate that education exports fell by 15% in 2011. Some commentators fear further slides before visa changes impact on numbers.

In a recent survey of 500 young Czechs commissioned by Austrade, 32% said they would choose to study in the UK, 23% in the USA and 20% in Australia, but only 2% in Canada. Meanwhile, Australia is most popular among 18-19 year olds...

Australia has been hit with another international student housing drama, this time in Adelaide. Last week, The Age reported that 53 students had been found living in overcrowded and illegal conditions...

The inflow of “new” international students – those applying for a visa for the first time – to New Zealand has slowed considerably since 2008/9. The total number of first time student visa applicants grew rapidly from 27,337 in 2005/6 to 41,702 in 2008/9, but fell to 38,345 in 2009/10. It grew only slightly to 38,561 this year.

The IELTS monopoly of the testing of student visa applicants in Australia ended last month, as the government now accepts scores from a range of other tests for the first time in 10 years. Pearson PTE Academic, Toefl and Cambridge English Advanced are among the tests now accepted.

A parliamentary report has called for sweeping reforms to address a shortage of affordable and regulated international student housing in New South Wales, Australia, and recommended travel concessions for students to enable them to live farther afield.

The Australian government today announced that more international students, will enjoy the extension of post-study work arrangements agreed in September – a sign of its continuing ambition to boost the country’s international education sector.

All Australian students will be entitled to learn a language other than English under the new Australian curriculum, with tuition in Chinese Mandarin and Italian among the first curriculum to be developed...

Australia has published a new book that charts its 25-year history of welcoming international students. The book was officially unveiled today in Canberra by Senator Evans, who also talked about a new five-year national strategy towards education exports in the "Asian century".

International education earnings in Australia have fallen by AU$2.5 billion in the last 12 months, according to new figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The sector is reported to have earned $15.1bn in the four quarters to September this year, compared with $17.6bn over the preceding 12 months – a fall of 14 per cent. […]

In a show of faith in Australian HE, Laureate is to establish the country’s first private university in 24 years, aiming for 50% of its student body to be international and offering semesters across the Laureate university network.

English Australia’s Executive Director, Sue Blundell, has been recognised for her contribution to the industry by the International Education Association of Australia. She was presented with the IEAA Award for Excellence in Leadership in International Education at this year’s Australian International Education Conference in Adelaide. “Sue is an exemplary member of the industry and well […]

Milner International College of English in Australia has received one of the highest accolades in Australia’s English language teaching industry – twice! Brendan Brown, a young teacher with the school in Perth, won the English Australia/Cambridge University Press teacher award for 2011, the presentation being made at the recent EA Conference in Adelaide. This followed the […]