international education
Where we fit?
International education is facing many challenges. At the heart of the matter lies a key question: Do we have a crisis of identity? By Phil Honeywood
Those of us who work in international education are also unsure of appropriate terminology when referring to what we do.
Some refer to international education as a sector; others refer to it as an industry. Consequently, this makes it difficult to gain traction in trying to make ourselves better understood, better positioned and better championed by the body politic.
While there is no magic bullet to fix this problem, four key initiatives are beginning to resonate with decision-makers in Australia. Politicians and large numbers of public servants still do not understand who we are, what we do, or where we fit in.
1. Student visa applications on a case-by-case basis The first of these initiatives is the Education Visa Consultative Committee( EVCC). This committee was an outcome of the Knight Review and is chaired by Department of Immigration and Citizenship.
Initially, it would be fair to say there were many territorial issues defended around the table and an unwillingness to share important information.
However, as the same representatives have come to know each other, meeting every two months over a two-year period, barriers have gradually broken down, and full and frank discussions now take place.
At some Australian embassies abroad, we discovered that the rate of student visa rejections by locally engaged staff was inordinately high. By bringing this to the attention of the committee, agreement was reached that there be a one hundred per cent review of any proposed student visa rejection letter by an Australian staff member. Many other such practical issues have been resolved at these meetings.
2. Sector co-operation The second initiative is an increased emphasis on industry association / peak body co-operation, which interestingly enough arose as an unintended consequence of the first initiative.
Much greater cooperation, and even collaborative policy work, between industry associations now take place. These include the Australian Council for
16 | April 2013