international education
campusreview.com.au
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Creating positive experiences
for international students.
By Gavin Dowling
W
ith Australia’s international student numbers currently
at a record high, many tertiary education providers are
focused on how they can best support their students.
In this article we’ll look at the importance of understanding what
international students need and what the influx of students means
for the growth of Australia’s higher education sector.
THE INTERNATIONAL STUDENT MARKET AT A GLANCE
Australia is currently home to an unprecedented number of
international students. In May 2018, the number of international
students in Australia increased by 11 per cent, with recent figures
from the Department of Education revealing that the nation’s
universities, private colleges, English language courses and schools
registered a combined 626,634 enrolments. A total of 319,670
(51 per cent) of these enrolments were in higher education.
While Chinese students currently dominate the international
student market with a 31 per cent presence, enrolments from
India and Nepal are up 16 per cent and 57 per cent respectively.
In financial terms, the situation is positive. Australia’s inbound
education market is currently worth more than $32.2 billion, which
makes it the nation’s largest service export industry. Yet, as the
international student market continues to surge, many university
decision-makers remain unsure about how to best service the
needs of international students.
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UNDERSTANDING STUDENT NEEDS
In Australia, all institutions that offer education to international
students are required by law to provide support services. However,
not all services are created equally. At Education Centre Australia
(ECA) – a private education provider – we’ve found that by
identifying the ways in which a student’s needs change throughout
their academic journey, we’ve been able to strengthen student
experiences and outcomes.
One way we do this is by placing a strong emphasis on the
student transition experience. For many international students, the
transition to a new country and education system can be daunting.
Aside from navigating a new culture and learning environment,
many of our students are initially unsure about how to best benefit
from Australian higher education systems and procedures.
When we looked at the issue of student transition a few
years ago, we realised that we needed to employ dedicated
staff members whose role is to help our students adapt to their
new learning environments. We then sourced a small team of
student engagement officers who are a direct point of contact
for our international students. As Anshul Syal, one of our recent
graduates, puts it, “When you come here as an international
student, you are always curious. You want to know how things
work, and how to get things done.
“At the beginning of my time in Australia, I was full of questions,
and I really relied on Ian, my learning support supervisor. Knowing
that there was someone there to help me with all of my questions
was very important to me.”
PATHWAYS TO MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT
As Anshul progressed through his certificate and into a diploma,
his needs changed, and so did our support. After a few months,
we knew that Anshul had settled into his studies and was enjoying
life in Australia. We also knew that he was thinking about his