road map to better international education in australia

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A ROADMAP

for consideration by universities

and other stakeholders

prepared by

Emeritus Professor Joseph Camilleri OAM

and

Dr Adrian Soh

for

31 August 2015

Page | 2

Contents

Executive summary 3

Resetting the agenda 4

Room for improvement 5

Recent recommendations: Their strengths and weaknesses 9

The case for an intercultural, multi-stakeholder approach 15

References 21

Alexandria Agenda, a new venture in ethical consulting, was launched late last

year with Professor Joseph Camilleri as its managing director. He has brought

together a small but highly expert team to assist organisations to manage the

complex and diverse stakeholder relationships vital to their long-term success.

Alexandria Agenda specialises in three key areas: cultural diversity, education and

sustainability. It has recently completed major assignments for the Carlton

Football Club, the Islamic Council of Victoria and Air China.

In relation to the issues covered in this paper Alexandria Agenda can:

help design and implement individual university strategies to enhance

student experience;

advise on and facilitate the establishment of partnerships and programs

supported by business, government and community organisations;

conduct professional development programs in cultural competence; and

evaluate projects and governance processes relating to international

education.

The Alexandria Agenda team brings to the task expertise in research, cultural

diversity, policy development and governance, dialogue facilitation,

engagement with Asia, and longstanding experience working in higher

education as well as in government and business.

For more information visit: www.alexandriaagenda.com

Page | 3

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. International education makes a major contribution to the Australian economy. This paper

focuses on the vital role of international students in the life of Australia’s universities.

Australia is uniquely placed to take advantage of the immense opportunities presented by

the large number of students enrolled at its various universities.

2. But to do this well we need to take account of the total student experience, which includes

pre-arrival contact and advice; the educational experience itself; university life; and more

generally life in Australia.

3. While a continuing effort is needed to attract a large and growing share of the international

student market, attention must at the same be directed to the quality of the total student

experience. The number of students (and their parents) prepared to entertain study in

Australia depends on perceptions of the quality of what is on offer. In the long run such

perceptions are more likely to be shaped by the word of mouth reports of students who have

had direct experience of Australia and its educational institutions than by clever promotional

and recruiting campaigns.

4. Australian institutions must therefore incorporate two strategic priorities into their planning.

The first priority relates to the critical importance of culture. International education involves

all kinds of intercultural encounters involving teachers, international and domestic students,

university administrators, government officials, business and the wider community.

5. To ensure that these encounters are as productive and positive as possible each university

has to provide its staff, in particular those that have extensive contact with international

students, with an appropriate level of cultural competence. At the same time, international

students must be given ample opportunities to experience the different facets of Australian

society and culture, in a preliminary way before arrival in Australia, and more systematically

during the course of their studies. Only in this way can they be expected to become active

ambassadors for Australia and its educational institutions.

6. The second strategic priority is to develop coherent, transparent and accountable processes

whereby stakeholders in higher education can effectively coordinate their efforts. To this end

Federal and State governments have an important role to play in establishing coordinating

bodes at the federal and state level comprising representatives of relevant government

departments and agencies, universities, international student associations, local

government, business peak bodies, and a number of ethnic and other community

organisations.

7. Such efforts at liaison and coordination should be complemented by ad hoc working groups

that focus not only on crisis response but also on educational innovation, international

partnerships, professional development and program evaluation.

8. A strategic effort is needed to use effectively the networks international students and alumni

have in their home countries, and so enhance Australia’s global engagement, especially with

Asian countries, notably China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

9. The university sector, in close collaboration with government, business and community

organisations, must provide international students with structured opportunities for: a)

interaction, both formal and informal, with domestic students; b) work integrated learning

programs; c) workshops, visits and role play designed to expand the student’s future

employment prospects; and d) short international projects that deliver firsthand knowledge

and experience of the educational, university, professional or business environment of other

countries in Asia and beyond.

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RESETTING THE AGENDA

International education contributes much to the Australian economy. In 2014 it earned Australia

$17.6 billion in exports. Of this the higher education sector, which is the focus of this paper,

accounted for $11.7 billion. In 2014 some 250,000 international students on student visas were

enrolled at Australian universities, to which should be added the students enrolled at offshore

campuses of Australian institutions (84,785 in 2013).

Student Numbers at Australian Universities

UNIVERSITY LOCAL INT TOTAL INT %

NEW SOUTH WALES

The University of Wollongong 18,194 12,360 30,554 40.5%

University of Technology, Sydney 27,584 10,054 37,638 26.7%

Average for the State 21.4%

VICTORIA

Federation University Australia 6,609 6,332 12,941 48.9%

RMIT University 30,843 26,590 57,433 46.3%


QUEENSLAND

Bond University 3,695 2,367 6,062 39%

The University of Queensland 37,252 11,519 48,771 23.6%


WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Murdoch University 14,329 9,809 24,138 40.6%

Curtin University of Technology 32,665 15,598 48,263 32.3%


SOUTH AUSTRALIA

The University of Adelaide 19,448 6,935 26,383 26.3%

University of South Australia 25,520 7,428 32,948 22.5%


TASMANIA

University of Tasmania 21,940 4,872 26,812 18.2%

NORTHERN TERRITORY

Charles Darwin University 9,687 1,161 10,848 10.7%

ACT

The Australian National University 15,368 5,566 20,934 26.6%

MULTI-STATE

Australian Catholic University 22,758 2,920 25,678 11.4%

Average for all universities 25%

The table shows the two universities with the highest international student enrolments in each state and the average for each state and territory.

Source: Universities Australia http://www.australianuniversities.com.au/directory/student-numbers/

Page | 5

In 2012 international student fees provided about 16 per cent of the total revenue of all

universities. For many the percentage was over 20 per cent, and for a few over 30 per cent. To

the extent that this revenue helps fund a range of general university activities, including

teaching and research, it can be said to benefit domestic as well as international students.

According to one study revenue for international student fees subsidised each domestic student

by around $1,600 (Beaton Wells and Thompson 2011). Other benefits include:

Job creation – in 2013 international students generated some 130,000 jobs nationally

A healthy stimulus to tourism – for every ten international students 3 family members and

2 friends visit Australia each year

Skilled migration – one in five internationals students gains permanent residency on

graduation, thereby addressing a number of otherwise costly skill shortages

Enhanced research capacity – international students make up over 30 per cent of

Australia’s postgraduate enrolments in management and commerce, agriculture,

architecture, engineering, information technology and the natural and physical sciences.

The economic case for international education is a compelling one, and requires persistent

attention. Yet, overemphasis of the economic gains does pose several risks.

Despite our best efforts continuing growth in the number of international students may be hard

to sustain in the years ahead whether as a result of heightened international competition, the

high cost of study in Australia, or more importantly the possible fall in demand as Asian, in

particular Chinese, universities achieve higher standards in both teaching and research.

The current high dependence of several universities on international student fees may deflect

attention from the need to place higher education in Australia on a sounder financial footing.

The frenetic push to get more international students to enrol in Australian institutions can

overemphasise the quantitative rather than qualitative aspects of international education. The

quality of education can become little more than a means to an end, rather than an end in itself.

The non-economic aspects of study and the non-economic gains will need to receive the

attention they deserve. Two aspects are crucial here: the cultural aspects of education and the

quality of Australia’s engagement with Asia, its societies, languages, cultures and polities.

This paper proposes two strategic priorities and a number of specific tasks and

practical steps under each priority:

Strategic Priority 1: Give due regard to the role of culture

Task 1: Prepare international students to become ambassadors for Australia

Task 2: Expose international students to Australian society and culture

Task 3: Ensure university staff have an appropriate level of cultural competence

Strategic Priority 2: Adopt a multi-stakeholder approach

Task 1: Establish national coordinating bodiy representing all relevant stakeholders

Task 2: Establish state-wide international education councils

Task 3: Each university to establish its own multi-stakeholder mechanisms

Task 4: Develop local connections

Task 5: Develop international partnerships

Task 6: Develop the connection with business

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ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

Looking just at the raw figures one gets the distinct impression that international education in

Australia is flourishing. The number of international students enrolled at Australian universities

almost doubled from 124,707 in 2002 to 242,029 in 2010. Similarly, the level of student

satisfaction appears rather high. In line with previous reports, the 2014 International Student

Survey (ISS) found that 88 per cent of tertiary respondents were satisfied with their overall

experience of international education in Australia.

These figures, while comforting, should be treated with caution. Any number of domestic and

external factors can cause variations in international student enrolments form one year to the

next. It is nevertheless worth noting that in 2014 Australian universities attracted 249,256

international students, which means virtually no overall growth over the preceding four years,

despite a significant rise in student numbers from certain countries (e.g. Vietnam, Pakistan). All

the indications are that future growth will be slower than in the past and harder to achieve.

As for the reported levels of satisfaction, they may not offer a fully accurate barometer of how

international students view their experience in Australia. The findings of the 2014 student

survey were based on the responses of only 27 per cent of students studying in participating

institutions. It is not unreasonable to assume that the level of satisfaction would have been

lower among the large majority of students who did not take part in the survey. We should, in

any case, remember that the bulk of the respondents were Asian students, whose cultural

background strongly predisposes them against expressing dissatisfaction with authority

generally and established institutions in particular, even under the veil of anonymity.

These and other considerations have prompted federal and state governments, federal

parliamentary committees as well as academics, universities and other stakeholders to publish

a number of surveys and reports on the state of international education in Australia. These

studies have varied widely in scope and quality, with some attempting to survey the entire field

and others focusing on particular aspects of the student experience. Some have been more

concerned with reviewing the current state of play, while others have placed the emphasis on

recommendations for the future.

This review is based on an analysis of 14 studies conducted over the last five years, including

four by federal government bodies, two arising from federal parliamentary inquiries, two by the

Victorian government, one by the Council of Australian Governments, and one by the City of

Melbourne. For purposes of convenience their assessments are considered under the following

four headings:

Pre-arrival: information services provided to prospective international students on what

Australia has to offer by way of courses, study modes, fees, accommodation, health,

transport and other lifestyle options, costs and entitlements, and importantly the

processes for obtaining student visas and the conditions attached to them.

Educational experience: content and method of teaching; adequacy of learning

techniques, processes and resources; mentoring of students; suitability of assessment

procedures; and evaluation of teacher and student performance. A critical consideration

in all of this is the degree to which these elements are integrated into a coherent

culturally sensitive pedagogy, including professional development for academic staff.

University life: welcoming arrangements; accommodation, health, counselling,

financial and other services; interaction with domestic students; professional

development of administrative staff.

Page | 7

Life in Australia: opportunities to learn about Australia, its history, values, multicultural

policies, political and legal institutions, and economy; access to paid part-time or casual

work or to work integrated learning; working conditions; and engagement with a cross-

section of Australian society.

Pre-Arrival

Several reports have drawn attention to the important role played by education agents

operating in the countries of origin. The 2015 Productivity Commission report identified the

potential conflict of interests facing agents whose brief is supposedly to look after the interests

of the students they advise but who are paid by universities with the express purpose of

maximising the number of their enrolments.

The report cited complaints made to the Overseas Students Ombudsman indicating that agents

often gave incomplete, misleading or inappropriate advice about educational providers and

course options. Some students were misinformed about the educational institution to which

they were assigned, while others were placed in sub-standard accommodation in Australia, for

which they were unable to gain redress even after lodging complaints. The problem was

compounded by the fact that many education providers had no written agreement with their

agents, and that they often failed to investigate complaints made about their agents. More

generally, there seemed to be no transparent monitoring of the performance of education

agents.

Numerous other instances have come to light pointing to inadequate information and advice.

The 2014 International Student Survey found that 93 per cent of students surveyed were

satisfied with airport pickup services and 94% with university orientation programmes.

However, 48 per cent and 51 per cent of respondents respectively were unaware of the

existence of these services.

On the vexed issue of visa requirements, both the federal government's 2015 Draft National

Strategy and the 2015 Productivity Commission report found that frequent changes to visa

rules had made for a good deal of confusion and uncertainty on the part of students, and in

some cases even on the part of education agents.

Educational experience

One of the key concerns with the quality of education offered at most universities has to do with

the English language competence of international students. If courses are taught in English and

international students have less than full command of the written and spoken language, it is

difficult to see how they can perform to their full capacity.

The 2009 Victorian Auditor General's report pointed to significant differences in the quality of

language support services provided by different universities. Deficient language skills were

associated with several pedagogical problems, including plagiarism, tensions between

academics and students and between domestic and international students. The report could

identify only one university as having collected data correlating international student command

of English with their academic progress. The 2015 Productivity Commission report found that

the costs of collecting such data would pose an added difficulty for less financially endowed

universities.

It is clear that university English language requirements are not as rigorous or as consistently

applied as they should be across the Australian university sector. It is equally clear that

insufficient effort has been made to monitor the impact of poor English language skills on

international student academic and employment progress.

Page | 8

Several reports indicate that a number of international students are greatly dissatisfied with the

quality of the feedback they get on assignments they submit, and more generally on the

progress they are making during the course of their studies.

Another area of concern relates to increasing reliance on online teaching. The 2015

Productivity Commission report, while conceding that budgetary pressures were pushing

universities to introduce new online courses, warned that such a shift could adversely affect the

quality of teaching, certainly for international students, but also for domestic students. Five

years earlier, the 2010 Council of Learning and Teaching report had found that inadequate

staff-student interaction made it difficult for international students to get a clear sense of

direction in their studies and the necessary support to adjust to a new learning environment.

The 2014 International Student Survey found that 79 per cent of students were dissatisfied with

the opportunities available to meet with their teachers.

University Life

There is, of course, more the experience of life at a university than the course of study in which

the student is enrolled. For international students, there is much to be gained from making

friends and contacts, interacting with staff (not just academic staff) and especially with domestic

students. For international students interaction is indeed the key to improved English language

proficiency. It is a way of overcoming social isolation, and importantly it is an invaluable

opportunity to learn more about the host country. Several reports indicate that such interaction

is well below desired levels.

It is also the case that international students are under-utilised, especially when it comes to

helping domestic students to improve their command of languages other than English.

From time to time instances have been reported of international students encountering

difficulties in their dealings with university bureaucracies, including delays in the processing of

forms, requests and complaints. The 2009 Victorian Auditor General suggested that in several

cases prompt customer-service had not been forthcoming. These reports rely largely on

anecdotal evidence, which points to the need for more careful and transparent monitoring of

procedures and processes.

Life in Australia

The expectations of international students go beyond the quality of the courses they are

studying. Several other considerations weigh heavily on their minds.

The first of these is paid work. The 2014 International Student Survey found that more than

three quarters of respondents greatly valued access to paid work during the course of their

studies as well as the ability to find work on completion of their studies. Paid work helps to

cover at least a small part of the huge cost of international education. Secondly, it provides

students with the work experience they need to enhance their future employment prospects.

However, the same survey found that only 12 per cent of international students at Australia’s

universities had paid jobs in a field directly related to their studies, and another 24 per cent had

paid work not directly related to their area of study. One reason given for this poor outcome

was inadequate language competence. Another was the failure of the courses taught to equip

students with the practical skills sought by employers. Yet another, often unacknowledged

reason is the significant number of students whose employment is not officially recorded

because their low pay and poor working conditions are in violation of existing laws. Access to

useful and equitable paid work will be a key factor determining Australia’s future

competitiveness in the internationals student market.

Page | 9

The second consideration has to do with living conditions in Australia, in particular

accommodation, access to health services and transportation, and more generally the cost of

living.

The 2014 International Student Survey found that both the quality and cost of accommodation

were especially problematic – only 51 per cent of students expressed satisfaction in this

context. According to the parliamentary inquiry on international student welfare the inability of

universities to build or find appropriate accommodation for many of their international students.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that the problem is compounded when students are left to the

mercy of unscrupulous landlords or more often subletting lease holders who overcharge,

overcrowd or neglect the upkeep of the accommodation. A comprehensive study of housing for

international students has yet to be undertaken.

Transport has been another contentious issue. Only recently have the Victorian and New South

Wales governments introduced experimental public transport concessions for international

undergraduate students (though still not for postgraduate students). This modest response

follows years of complaints that existing arrangements discriminated against international

students, while at the same time endangering their personal security and increasing their social

isolation.

The 2013 parliamentary report on international student welfare identified access to health and

child care services as a third area of concern. International students have had to contend with

the high cost of health insurance, limited or costly provision of child care facilities, and a range

of mental health problems exacerbated by social isolation, financial difficulties and anxiety

about educational performance.

In responding to these challenges, international students have formed a number of country

specific groups to represent their interests as well as the umbrella organisation formed in 2010,

the Council of International Students Australia (CISA). But the readiness of both state and

federal governments on the one hand and universities on the other to consult and liaise with

these representative bodies is still in its infancy.

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RECENT RECOMMENDATIONS: THEIR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

What emerges from the preceding survey is that, while international students continue to enrol

in Australian universities in large numbers, much can be done to enhance the quality of their

experience. As we shall see, the studies and reports of the last few years have generated a

great many recommendations which merit close attention. They rest on the implicit, if not

explicit, proposition that neither the continuing flow of new enrolments nor the apparently high

proportion of satisfied students is cause for complacency.

Below we set out in point form a number of the recommendations contained in the studies and

reports to which we have already referred (see “References” for publication details). Detailed

analysis of these previous studies is essential for they reveal much about what needs to be

done. In short, they tell us a great deal that is useful although, as we shall see, they are

far from equal to the challenge.

The recommendations are grouped under the same four categories that informed our overview

of the current situation. Within each category we have highlighted a number of recurring

themes which appear on the left column, together with the names of one or more organisations

that have proposed, and in some way committed themselves to, a particular policy change or

initiative.

This is not an exhaustive list of the policy changes and projects which have been the subject of

discussion. Nor does it name all the organisations and reports that have considered or

recommended this or that course of action. The list is nevertheless sufficiently inclusive to

convey the broad sweep of proposals, objectives and pilot projects to have emerged over the

last five years. It identifies the main concerns of key stakeholders, in particular governments

and universities, and the approaches they have so far developed in response to these

concerns. This survey will help us to identify their strengths and their weaknesses.

This paper seeks to fill some of the gaps in the existing body of recommendations.

Pre-Arrival

Recruiting

Productivity Commission 2015

Austrade to mount seminars to update and deepen the knowledge of education and immigration agents.

Provide agents with more frequently updated materials in other languages.

Vary incentives for agents in line with the quality of students they recruit, linking pay to the outcome of students studying in Australia.

Educational institutions to ensure greater transparency in agent fees.

Universities to take a more direct role in student recruitment, including despatch of university staff to countries of origin to supervise the agents they employ.

Visa Arrangements

Draft National Strategy 2015

Streamline international student visa requirements, which have become increasingly complex following a succession of changes over the last few years – the federal government has committed itself to further streamlining with a view to ensuring the competitiveness of the visa student program.

Streamlining could also apply to existing arrangements for electronic visa applications.

Page | 11

Quality of education

English Language Skills

University of Sydney 2010

Draft National Strategy 2015 Victoria Auditor General 2009

English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses for credit to be developed in faculties most involved in international student programs.

A language competency assessment for all international students to be conducted at the conclusion of their studies, as a measure of the value added to the degree.

Bi-lingual programs to be considered, especially at the professional masters level.

Universities to review language support services and integrate these into key performance indicators.

Online courses to be adapted to international students' languages.

Universities to revert back to IELTS tests to assess English skills of international students and to gather statistics of educational attainment compared to previous English skill competence.

Broadening the Curriculum

Agenda for Australian Higher Education 2013


Prof W. Purcell Universities Australia

Universities to work more closely with private education providers and TAFEs with a view to providing international students with a more varied education.

Introduce more work-integrated learning for international students through local businesses, larger business organisations and government programs.

Short-term projects at international universities to be given credit towards courses provided by Australian universities.

Dual-degree PhD programs to be developed whereby PhD students have dual supervisors and spend at least one year in the other country – with supervisor-to-supervisor relationships helping to expand research networks.

Improving quality of International Students

Sydney University 2010; Draft National Strategy 2015


Universities to enhance international connections through hosting of international conferences (including area studies conferences) and collaboration in world class international research networks -- a special university research seed fund to be established for this purpose

Australian Government to create new Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching by improving the existing University Experience and Graduate Destination surveys and creating a new Employer Satisfaction survey to assess generic skills, technical skills and work readiness of higher education graduates.

Australian government to support international postgraduate research students through the International Postgraduate Research Scholarships and Australian Postgraduate Awards.

Page | 12

Quality of university life

Social Inclusion

Australian Learning and Teaching Council 2010

Universities Australia 2013

Improve communication between domestic and international students by revamping teaching methods to allow for assessment tasks that involve peer feedback, icebreakers, social tutorials and allocation of seats or tables in classes.

University student clubs and societies to be re-established with funds from university budgets and directed towards extracurricular activities where international and domestic students can mix informally.

Improved communication

Victorian Government 2013; H of R Standing Committee 2013; University of Sydney 2010; COAG 2010; City of Melbourne 2013

Victorian Auditor General 2009

The Commonwealth Government, state governments, local governments, universities and other stakeholders to set up international student consultative committees.

Improve communication between international students and university general staff, especially those engaged in administration and service provision.

Service Provision



University to arrange for an adequate supply of affordable childcare for international students and funds and faculty based strategies to accommodate students with disabilities.

Universities to collaborate with international student bodies, community organisations and government agencies to provide employment workshops with a focus on job-seeking, employee rights, resume writing, tax and visa information.

Life in Australia

Service Provision

H of R Standing Committee 2013


University of Sydney 2010; Australian Senate 2009


Information regarding health, housing, transport, work and safety issues on federal government, state government and university websites to be centralised.

Universities to work with investors, property developers, education peak bodies, students and governments to investigate ways to improve the availability, affordability and quality of accommodation, including increasing purpose-built student accommodation on or near campus.

Initiate short-term action to meet the demands of international students, including reservation of on-campus beds for first year students and attention to expanded home stay arrangements.

Ensure that University’s accommodation database is accurate, up to date and supported by the resource and expertise to screen potential leases and rental properties.

Page | 13

Social Inclusion

City of Melbourne 2013

Australian Education International, 2011

Research and identify ways to connect international students with other students, families and communities and so reduce social isolation and enhance inclusion.

Establish interest-based programs (e.g. an art or conservation program) that allow international students to work with domestic students and local community groups.

Mount soft-skills workshops (developing problem solving, communication and interpersonal skills) that include both international and domestic students.

Employment

Australian Senate 2009

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship to review the 20 hour per week limit on work for international students.

Student Security

COAG 2010

Universities to draw up Provider Student Safety Plans detailing university security services, emergency phone numbers, how to contact police and public transport services.

Consultation

H of R Standing Committee 2013

The Australian government to work more closely with the Council of International Students Australia (CISA) on policy formulation and information dissemination.

This brief survey tells us a good deal about the kind of forward thinking governments and

universities have been doing as they try to position Australia to take full advantage of

international student mobility. The thinking thus far is useful in some important respects, but

quite limiting in others. The main strengths and weaknesses of what is on offer may be

summarised as follows:

Strengths

Generally, governments and universities have come to value the contribution that

internationals students can make to university budgets, to the development of

international research partnerships and other forms of collaboration, and to the

economy as a whole.

Both governments and universities now appreciate that performance has to improve if

Australia is to continue to attract large numbers of international students in the face of

severe competition and potentially adverse currents over which it may have little control.

A wide range of proposals aimed at improving student satisfaction are now under

consideration or in early stages of implementation.

There now exists a greater sense on the part of key stakeholders (including

governments and universities) that improved performance depends on more effective

collaboration.

Several of the proposals address directly what may have been previously considered a

secondary objective, but one which is crucially important, namely the whole study

experience, which includes not only teaching and learning, but employability and living

conditions, including accommodation, health, transport and safety.

Some of the recommendations also indicate a growing appreciation that for international

student employability means maximising future employment prospects in the home

country, the host country and third countries.

Page | 14

Shortcomings

A good number of recommendations, if implemented, will no doubt produce improved

outcomes for international students, and may make Australia an even more desirable

country of destination. But the bulk of the proposals and ideas currently on the table are

short on ambition, in the sense that the primary underlying concern appears to be how

to increase the number of student enrolments and to a lesser extent how to use

international education to develop high-quality international research partnerships. Both

are laudable aims, but only part of a larger and richer canvas.

Other critically important objectives, notably the quality of the total life experience of the

international student while in Australia, are considered, but usually only as means to an

end. As a result, what constitutes a high quality experience is reduced to a number of

practical considerations (e.g. employment prospects, accommodation, transport), all of

which required sustained attention, but so do the personal and social dimensions of the

experience. The complex but crucial issues of cultural interaction and social inclusion,

as they impact on accommodation, health care, transport and work arrangements, need

to be addressed head-on.

Some of the recommendations (e.g. bi-lingual university programs, production of

materials in multiple languages) appear to be poorly thought through. Many questions

remain largely unanswered: How would such programs impact on the need for students

to have high levels of English language proficiency? How would domestic students

handle bi-lingual programs? If other languages are to be introduced in teaching, which

languages are to be chosen, for which courses, to serve what purposes?

Many of the recommendations are stated in such general terms that it is often difficult to

see how they would be implemented, by whom, with what resources, within what

timelines, and how progress might be measured and monitored. To state the core of the

problem as succinctly as possible, many of the recommendations are thin when it

comes to identifying where responsibility lies for implementation. As a consequence we

are still some distance from developing an accepted methodology for determining which

recommendations have been adopted and how they are being implemented.

Insofar as recommendations have been adopted, whether by individual universities or

by the higher education sector as a whole, we do not as yet have an agreed framework

for measuring progress, comparing experiences, or for developing a body of useful

lessons learnt.

Similarly, there is a lack of clarity on how actions taken are to be made accountable and

transparent. Existing higher education reporting and data gathering mechanisms, often

cumbersome and less than fully revealing, are not well fitted for this purpose.

Perhaps the most striking gap in the reports to date, at least from an organisational

point of view, is the reluctance to acknowledge the role of multiple stakeholders. Even

where such acknowledgement is given, there is little or no attempt to articulate concrete

ways in which the interests, priorities, insights and resources of different stakeholders,

including international students and their representative organisations and potential

international educational partners, can be integrated into consultation and decision-

making processes, and importantly in the different stages of implementation.

Page | 15

THE CASE FOR AN INTERCULTURAL, MULTI-STAKEHOLDER APPROACH

International students have played a major role in expanding the international reach of

the Australian university sector. This trend is likely to continue even though the demand for

places in both undergraduate and postgraduate courses may fluctuate from year to year in less

than fully predictable ways. This uncertainty reinforces the need for imaginative strategies

which are as much concerned with the quality of what is offered as with the size of the student

market.

In addressing the question of quality three key considerations should be kept in mind:

The number of students (and their parents) prepared to entertain study in Australia

cannot but be influenced over the longer term by perceptions of the quality of what is on

offer. In the longer term such perceptions are less likely to be shaped by clever

promotional and recruiting campaigns than by the word of mouth reports of students

who have had direct experience of Australia and its educational institutions.

The quality of life international students experience while in Australia is critically

important for securing future enrolments in an increasingly competitive market. But it is

just as important for cementing in the eyes of our Asian neighbours a favourable view

not only of our universities but of our other institutions, and of the society as a whole.

Suitably impressed international students can become invaluable ambassadors for

individual institutions and for the wider connection with Australia.

Precisely because we are dealing with the qualitative aspects of the experience of

international students, these need to be evaluated using a range of both quantitative

and qualitative methods, and such evaluation must periodically inform planning, policies

and methodologies.

If the total experience of our international students -- not just the quality of the courses and

research facilities we offer – is to achieve the desired level of excellence, then the planning

process must incorporate two strategic priorities which to date have not received the attention

they deserve.

Strategic priority 1: Give due regard to the role of culture

All education is at its core a cultural phenomenon. The content and form of education, what and

how it is taught, the organisation of the curriculum, student-teacher relationships, attitudes to

study and work, all these reflect cultural assumptions and practices. In the case of international

students, the cultural factor is even more conspicuous given that the students come from

different cultural and language backgrounds, and bring therefore to their study different

experiences, expectations, ways of studying, and social, cultural and spiritual needs.

In Australia’s case, the cultural factor assumes even greater significance given that the vast

majority of international students are from Asian countries, that is, from cultures with which

Australian institutions have until recently found it difficult to engage. Of the ten countries that

currently provide the largest number of students nine are from Asia: China, India, Malaysia,

Vietnam, Indonesia, Nepal, Singapore, South Korea and Pakistan. Though we can reasonably

expect a gradual increase in the number of students coming from the Middle East and Latin

America, Asia will remain by far our principal source of international students. This presents

Australia’s educational institutions with a considerable challenge but also an immense

opportunity.

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Three tasks are vital to the success of this strategy:

Task 1: Expose international students to Australian society and culture

International students have much to gain from effective engagement with Australian society,

that is to say, interaction that goes beyond study requirements and attending to the practical

necessities of life (e.g. accommodation, shopping, transport, health).

Australia’s multicultural landscape is a legitimate source of pride, as are its social cohesion and

development of innovative intercultural and interfaith programs. Integrating this facet of

Australian life into our international education programs should be considered a priority

objective.

Each university should devise it own program comprised of two key elements:

a) basic introduction to Australian society, culture, economy, politics, law (e.g. guest

lectures, workshops, on-line modules) – not confined to orientation week; and

b) a structured program designed to foster sustained interaction with domestic students

(within and outside the study environment) and a range of community groups and

organisations enabling students to pursue their interests in affordable ways (e.g.

conservation, sport, the arts, music, travel around Australia) and importantly to connect

with locally based communities who share their cultural/national background.

The content and method of such a program would be designed to give international students a

better feel for the highly diverse multicultural fabric of Australian society. The program would

also seek to make more effective use of the time internationals students spend in Australia to

promote interest in and knowledge of their countries and languages, not least among domestic

students.

Each university could profitably offer a short program in the students’ home countries prior to

arrival in Australia. Such a program would familiarise the students with Australian university

culture, course options and related career pathways, the practical aspects of living in Australia,

and an introduction to key aspects of the Australian landscape, including geography, society,

economy and politics. Adequately trained academic and general university staff would need to

be directly involved in the delivery of these programs.

During their studies in Australia a number of more advanced on-shore summer schools could

be offered to students wishing to learn more about Australia’s business environment, legal

system, political institutions, multicultural policies and programs, urban planning, energy

conservation and efficiency programs, and relations with Asia.

Where appropriate the summer schools could be allocated credit points towards a range of

degrees. Non credited summer schools could cover a range of interests that fall outside the

scope of a formal degree, and which may appeal to both domestic and internationals students –

either during or on completion of their studies.

With the encouragement of their state government and the support of business and industry as

well as the community sector, universities – singly or collectively – could take advantage of

additional synergies between multiculturalism and international education. To illustrate:

a. Universities and government departments might consider expanding partnerships with

major sporting bodies and promote the participation of international students in

Australian sports as a social engagement mechanism. Football Federation Australia and

the Australian Football League are likely to be keenly interested in investing energy and

resources into introducing internationals students to their respective codes.

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b. Formation of partnerships involving universities, travel companies, the Victorian and

local governments would greatly enhance student safety and reduce risks of damaging

incidents. Such companies could include major airlines that provide the bulk of

international student travel services between the home country and Victoria.

c. International students that have a particular cultural or religious background could be

introduced to the relevant cultural or religious organisations in Victoria (e.g. Muslim

students could be brought into contact with the Islamic Council of Victoria and its

member organisations).

Finally, universities could consider a range of international projects whereby students can be

hosted for relatively short periods (e.g. two to six weeks) by a university in a third country with a

view to widening their international experience and providing them with firsthand knowledge of

the university, professional or business environment of that country.

Task 2: Prepare international students to become ambassadors for Australia

A key objective must be to encourage and equip them to become effective ambassadors for

Australia and its universities once they return home and even before.

The first steps should be taken when international students are still pursuing their studies in

Australia. They need to have a clear sense of what a continuing association with the university

can offer them, by way of continuing education, professional networking, and international

engagement.

a. Work integrated learning programs;

b. Workshops, visits and role play designed to expand the student’s future employment

prospects;

Where a university has a large concentration of alumni in a particular country (e.g. China, India,

Vietnam) every effort should be made to establish a chapter of the alumni association in that

country. Such chapters should be encouraged (and given every possible support) to promote

the two-way flow of students between their countries and Australia, establish new scholarships,

develop joint pilot projects and commission consultancies that can advise on new initiatives and

training programs.

A range of university bodies, including alumni offices, will need to be in involved in the design

and delivery of an ambassador program.

Task 3: Ensure university staff have an appropriate level of cultural competence

If a university is to engage seriously in the business of international education, if it is to provide

an effective teaching, learning and research environment for a large number of international

students, then both its academic and general staff should be able to communicate in ways that

are culturally sensitive and empowering. This requires knowledge and understanding of both

the pitfalls and immense potential of intercultural encounters. It also requires some basic

knowledge of the cultural backgrounds of international students, at least of those cultures

heavily represented within the university.

For this purpose two types of professional development programs will be needed: a) a basic

program designed for the majority of staff; and b) a more intensive and challenging program

designed for members of staff who have sustained interaction with international students in

academic, administrative, or service delivery contexts.

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Strategic Priority 2: Adopt a multi-stakeholder approach

International study necessarily involves the encounter of many cultures, but it also involves a

great many stakeholders in both the home and host countries. In an earlier period, study at a

university was generally understood as centred on the direct relationship between student and

teacher, and to some extent between student and department. Over recent decades dramatic

changes have occurred within and outside universities. Government generally and bureaucracy

in particular now exercise a decisive influence – not just in disbursing funds, but in determining

how funds are to be used, setting research and teaching priorities and benchmarks, and

establishing detailed reporting and monitoring procedures. Though federal governments have

primary carriage of key functions in the management of the higher education sector, state

governments continue to exercise certain governance functions, and importantly they see

universities as critical to their business and innovation strategies.

At the same time industry itself has become a more conspicuous player, entering into research

and development partnerships, and largely shaping the vocational pathways to which

universities must adjust. The membership profile of university councils strikingly reflects this

trend. Community organisations have also come to play a significant though less sharply

defined role. Partly in response to these multiple pressures universities have acquired larger

bureaucracies that now have a ubiquitous presence in all facets of university teaching and

research.

Complex as these relationships now are, international education is doubly complex. For, in

addition to all the stakeholders named above, account must be taken of international students,

their needs and expectations and those of their families, communities, governments and future

employers, which fund study abroad and in large measure shape the career opportunities open

to students on return to their home countries. If the educational experience Australia offers its

international students is to realise its full potential and yield benefits to all concerned, it is

crucial that policies and decision-making processes integrate in culturally appropriate ways the

interests and priorities of all relevant stakeholders both in Australia and internationally.

Task 1: Establish a national coordinating body representing all relevant stakeholders

The purpose of this coordinating body would be to develop a national framework that sets key

benchmarks for the development of international education in universities, monitors progress in

the implementation of policies, and publishes periodic reports that compares performance with

benchmarks. These, however, will need to be set with sufficient flexibility to allow for the

different circumstances of each university and provide adequate space for universities and their

staff and student bodies to develop programs and initiatives that are original and creative.

The coordinating body should represent federal and state governments, universities,

international student bodies as well as business and community organisations. It should also

actively and regularly consult with educational, business, government and other institutions in

those countries which provide the bulk of Australia’s international students.

Task 2: Establish state-wide international education councils

Each state, especially those that have two or more universities, should ideally have a state-

wide council comprising representatives of government departments and agencies with

responsibilities in education, economic development and multicultural affairs, all universities

within that state, local government, business peak bodies, ethnic and other community

organisations and relevant international student associations. Its purpose would be to consult

widely and establish a best practice framework covering the four key areas examined in this

paper: pre-arrival arrangements, quality of education, quality of university life, quality of life

Page | 19

outside the university. One department or agency should be assigned the task of facilitating the

process of consultation and coordination.

One of the key tasks of such coordination would be to expose international students to

Australia’s multicultural landscape in business, sport, the arts, the media, and professional life.

For this purpose some small grants or scholarships could be made widely available (perhaps

with some or all of the funding provided by corporate sponsorships).

There may also be value in forming ad hoc working groups that focus not only on crisis

response (addressing particular problem areas which may arise from time to time), but also on

innovation, in particular developing pilot projects involving clusters of universities, or major

initiatives involving the whole of the university sector in each state.

Task 3: Each university to establish its own multi-stakeholder mechanisms

The purpose here would to provide one or more mechanisms whereby the university can

periodically engage with a range of stakeholders to review and evaluate existing university

policies, processes and programs. Opportunities should also be created to consider difficulties

that may have been encountered as well as innovative proposals and new partnerships able to

deliver improvements in the quality of students’ experiences.

The aim should be to bring together relevant university managers, senior academics (especially

those involved in overseeing courses attracting large numbers of international students), as

well as undergraduate and postgraduate representatives of international student bodies, local

government, local business and local community organisations. The university’s international

office would be in most cases the logical unit to perform such liaising and coordinating

functions, though to maximise outcomes significant capacity building and professional

development programs for staff attached to international offices and health, counselling and

other services may be necessary.

Task 4: Develop local connections

The importance of the local experience cannot be overstated. International students can play

an active role in local community programs, whether as volunteers, guest speakers, or resource

people.

Local government can make a valuable contribution by helping to develop innovative spaces

and processes at the local level (outside of the university environment), where international

students can freely express their impressions of life in Australia, offer suggestions for improving

the student experience, and fostering future engagement between Australia and their home

countries.

International students can also be productively involved in projects designed to give greater

energy and depth to sister city relationships.

Task 5: Develop international partnerships

Two initiatives could greatly enhance Australia’s attractiveness as the country of destination for

international education:

a. Establish well funded educational and research projects involving universities in Australia

and the students’ home countries with a view to strengthening area studies, that is,

Australian studies in key Asian countries, and Asian studies in Australia.

Page | 20

b. Support through grants, scholarships and fellowships – in a more focused way than is

currently the case – international research partnerships that involve both academic staff

and research students. Key topics for research collaboration should include the major

transnational challenges in non-military security, with particular reference to the Asia-

Pacific region (e.g. climate change, cross-border population movements; transnational

organised crime; illicit financial flows; disease-based threats, natural disasters).

Task 6: Develop the connection with business

Considerable opportunities exist for closer engagement with business and industry as partners

in the sector’s growth and sustainability. Two possibilities require sustained attention:

a. Creating greater opportunities for appropriately supervised and carefully assessed work

integrated learning programs;

b. Encouraging internationals students to attend occasional lectures, workshops,

conferences and other functions sponsored by business and industry, which explore

projects and initiatives aimed at: sustainable regional economic growth and employment;

development of infrastructure; innovation in renewable energy development and energy

efficiency; and best practice in governance and diversity management.

Universities working closely with key stakeholders can do much to make Australia a pioneer in

international education. To rise to this challenge it is vital that all relevant stakeholders make

imaginative use of Australia’s invaluable assets, notably its vibrant multicultural ethos, its social

inclusion policies and the acknowledged quality of its universities. Placed within an appropriate

multi-stakeholder framework, international students offer a unique passport to mutually

rewarding economic and cultural engagement with Asia and the rest of the world.

Page | 21

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