Deakin University has been named Victoria’s top university for international education for the second time in three years, after the winners of the 2016 Victorian International Education Awards were announced earlier this week.
The university took home four awards during the event held at Government House, including best university and English language provider, regional international student of the year and a ‘highly commended’ for partnership and international engagement.
“We are passionate about belonging to a globally-connected community in which we have developed high-quality education and research partnerships and opportunities,” Deakin University vice-chancellor Jane den Hollander told The PIE News.
“We are passionate about belonging to a globally-connected community in which we have developed high-quality education and research partnerships”
She added the university aimed to become a global institution and specialise in research to help communities. “It is unthinkable that such a goal could be achieved without the support of the many thousands of international students who have chosen to study with us,” she said.
Earlier in the year, Deakin received an IEAA Excellence Award for Innovation in Education for their online series, International Students in Cars Getting Coffee.
Meanwhile, TAFE provider Holmesglen Institute received the Excellence in International Education for TAFE as well as the Premier’s award for International Education Provider of the Year.
“Holmesglen is honoured to receive these highly-sought after and respected awards, which demonstrate a recognition of Holmesglen’s strength and diversity in the delivery of international education in Victoria,” said chief executive Mary Faraone.
In addition to provider awards, winners of the international student of the year per sector were also announced, each receiving up to A$10,000 towards their studies.
RMIT’s Jessica Pandohee was named Victoria’s International Student of the Year.
The 2016 awards were the fourth annual Victorian International Education Awards and saw the addition of two new categories, International Student of the Year (Regional) and International Alumnus of the Year.
List of 2016 winners:
Excellence in International Education
TAFE – Holmesglen Institute; William Angliss Institute (Highly Commended)
University – Deakin University
English Language – Deakin University English Language Institute
Private Education & Training – Health Careers International
International Student Experience – Australian Federation of International Students
Student Employability and Career Development – Impact English College
Partnership and International Engagement – The Monash Warwick Alliance;
Deakin University – Save the Children (Highly Commended)
International Student of the Year
Vocational Education and Training – Freddy Mata Mendoza, Holmesglen Institute (Venezuela)
English Language Training – Maria Victoria Gonzalez, Swinburne College (Argentina)
Higher Education – Sander Bredal, University of Melbourne (Norway); Yuliana Sari, Swinburne University (Indonesia) (Highly Commended)
Regional – Balaji Trichy Narayanaswamy – Deakin University (India)
Alumnus – Kashif Bouns, Victoria University (Pakistan)
Research – Jessica Pandohee, RMIT University (Mauritius)
Internationalisation – Wesa Chau, Swinburne University
Premier’s Award winners
International Education Provider of the Year – Holmesglen Institute