Policy, advocacy and representation

strategic pillar I advocacy, policy and representation

Last year’s annual report highlighted a twelve-month period that could be divided neatly into two halves: business as usual – featuring a strong enrolment growth trajectory – followed by the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic in the second half. Unfortunately, the entire period that this annual report covers, from July 2020 to June 2021, has proven to be nothing short of a horror story for our beleaguered international education sector.

Very few industries in “Fortress Australia” have been as adversely affected as ours. Even the tourism industry, with which we are often compared, has been the beneficiary of significant government financial support whilst being able to rely (at various times throughout the pandemic) on domestic tourism dollars. By contrast, international education has fallen victim to a “pass the parcel of responsibility” approach between different tiers of government. On the one hand, the Federal Government controls Border Force. On the other hand, they maintain that it is the responsibility of state and territory governments to decide if, when and how, international students should return to recommence their studies.

In the meantime, we look enviously over our borders as our nation’s market share continues to bleed to benefit of competitor study destination countries. While we are told that we need to better promote offshore online learning, thousands of full fee-paying international students have instead chosen to vote with their feet to access face-toface lessons in Canada, UK and now even the US.

For the international students who were able to commence or return to their studies in Australia prior to national border closure, it has been a mixed blessing. Denied access to most forms of welfare support and part-time jobs, many felt that they had been left to fend for themselves. However, this situation was not purely isolated to the plight of overseas students. Thousands of specialist international education academic and professional staff, over the course of these twelve months, have been forced to search for jobs outside of our industry. Notwithstanding the provision of some excellent virtual study abroad program initiatives, many Australian domestic students have now missed out on any opportunity to study offshore prior to completing their course.

Given IEAA’s mandate for being the strongest possible advocate for our sector, the past year has proven to be even more challenging than the previous annual report period. The 24/7 media cycle has made constant demands for content, student hardship has been an ever-present concern and persuading governments that now is the best possible time for meaningful visa and other policy support measures has proven to be a never-ending battle. As we stated last year, in all of this, there has never been a more important time for the sector to come together and work effectively on a “road to recovery”.

As we stated last year, in all of this, there has never been a more important time for the sector to come together and work effectively on a “road to recovery”.

POLICY AND ADVOCACY

Industry Round Table

Chaired by the IEAA CEO, the International Education Industry Roundtable has proven to be an effective replacement for the Global Reputation Taskforce (GRT). There are two differences between these bodies. Firstly, the Roundtable has an expanded membership, which includes all relevant Peak Body CEOs and state/ territory/federal government representatives, but also has representation from the education agents and student accommodation sectors. Secondly, whereas the GRT was created and administered by the Federal Department of Education, the Roundtable is an initiative of the Peak Bodies.

On 15 March 2021, the first meeting took place at Universities Australia’s office in Canberra, and, on 27 May, a second meeting was hosted by Study NSW at State Parliament. One of the invited guests at this meeting, Immigration Minister Hon Alex Hawke, requested the Roundtable to provide student visa policy reform suggestions. Two policy briefing papers were subsequently endorsed by Roundtable members and forwarded to the Minister for his approval and implementation. Other Roundtable meetings are planned for the coming year.

Council for International Education

Established in 2016, Australia’s National Council for International Education is the first of its kind in the world. It brings together six Federal Ministers and 11 non-Ministerial Expert Members to better inform government thinking on issues related to the sector. Originally, it is was responsible for delivering the Australian Government’s first-ever National Strategy for International Education (2025). However, midway through 2020, thenFederal Education Minister, Hon Dan Tehan, decided that a whole new 10-year strategy (2021–2030) was warranted. This became the key deliverable for the Expert Members over the following twelve-month period. Initial feedback on possible policy priorities was discussed with the 6 Federal Ministers at a full Council meeting at Federal Parliament on 6 December 2020. This was followed up by a series of face-to-face and virtual consultation sessions early in 2021. Over 1,200 stakeholders participated in webinars and workshops, and 119 written submissions were subsequently received.

IEAA is represented on the Council by CEO Phil Honeywood (Convener), President Janelle Chapman and Board Member Derek Scott.

POLICY AND ADVOCACY

Higher Education Standards Panel (HESP)

HESP is an expert statutory advisory body established under the TEQSA Act, which is responsibile for higher education standards in Australia. IEAA has been represented on the HESP for the past seven years by our CEO.

Two areas of focus required firming up advice to then Education Minister Hon Dan Tehan on important reviews of the:

• Higher Education Provider Category Standards, led by former Queensland University of Technology Vice-Chancellor Peter Coaldrake. The Minister accepted the advice of HESP that four new Higher Education categories be approved: Institute of Higher Education, University College, Australian University and Overseas University.

• Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) led by Victoria University’s Professor Peter Noonan. The advice provided to the Minister here included Standards Review, AQF symmetry, place of Foundation Year Programs and how AQF might facilitate job-ready graduates.

Additional HESP outputs for the year included signing off on TEQSA’s new Corporate Plan, including proposed new performance indicators, and recommending regulatory changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic (with an emphasis on changes to risk profiles).

New Colombo Plan (NCP)

The winding-up of the NCP Steering Group (which had included the IEAA CEO and our Treasurer Trevor Goddard as inaugural members) led to an unfortunate gap in information flow between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and international education stakeholders. While IEAA successfully lobbied to ensure that almost all of the Federal Government’s allocated funding was re-directed to virtual NCP mobility and scholarship grants, our program oversight was significantly diminished. With DFAT awarding a contract to Scope Global for third-party administration of the program, it remains to be seen how NCP will be effectively supported by the government when our Australian undergraduate students can return to physically studying offshore.

Education Visa Consultative Committee (EVCC)

Chaired by senior executives of the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), EVCC has met quarterly for over nine years. With representation from all peak bodies, and state and territory governments, it has provided, in the past, a useful forum for discussing key sector concerns and challenges. Unfortunately, as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, DHA insisted that the Committee pivot to virtual meetings. This combined with a significant churn of key Department officers throughout the year led to complaints from EVCC members that an opportunity for effective student visa policy reform was being wasted.

The Department’s postponement yet again of new deeds for English language testing companies and its unilateral uncapping of international student work rights for the hospitality industry were key examples of what can go wrong when stakeholder consultation mechanisms (such as EVCC) are not effectively utilised.

As we stated last year, in all of this, there has never been a more important time for the sector to come together and work effectively on a “road to recovery”.

STATES AND TERRITORIES

Australian Capital Territory

Early in the pandemic, it appeared that the ACT might have a first-mover advantage in bringing students back from overseas. The two universities were strongly aligned in their planning and appeared to have their Chief Minister’s backing. Concerns around Victoria’s second wave lockdown appeared to then set back implementation. On 3 December 2020, the IEAA CEO had meetings in Canberra with key ACT Government representatives, which were facilitated by Study Canberra’s senior management team.

As the territory was relatively free of lockdowns throughout the year, our Association’s ACT Young Professionals Chapter was able to proceed with hosting several in-person networking events. Our President Janelle Chapman spoke at one of these on 3 December, and our University of Canberrabased Board Member Mike Ferguson provided strong support at subsequent events.

New South Wales

State Premier Gladys Berejiklian proved herself to be a champion of our sector, when she announced on 22 November 2020 that her state wanted one-third of Sydney Airport’s 3,000 per week international arrivals cap to be allocated to international students from January. In doing so, she went against the Prime Minister’s focus on returning Australian citizens only. She argued that the students’ early return was crucial for both the NSW economy and jobs in the beleaguered international education industry. Unfortunately, when the state’s Northern Beaches COVID-19 cluster broke over Christmas, the Premier’s plans were put on hold.

In February 2021, the Study NSW International Education Advisory Board’s (IEAB) Chairman Stephen Cartwright announced his retirement. As a long-standing IEAB Board member, the IEAA CEO was asked to fill the position of Chairman until a permanent successor could be found. Guided by Peter Mackey and his team, Study NSW did great work throughout the twelve-month period in providing crisis accommodation for thousands of international students across the state. Early in 2021, Ernst and Young were commissioned by the State Government to work on a new NSW international education strategy and a briefing was provided at an IEAB Board meeting on 23 March. The sector’s advocacy in NSW was also well served by our Sydney-based IEAA Board Member and Scape/Urbanest CEO Craig Carracher. Craig’s commitment to the cause of bringing students back was instrumental in having Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) agreed as the approved quarantine arrangement for the state’s official student return plan.

STATES AND TERRITORIES

Northern Territory

The one jurisdiction that proved that international students could be returned to Australia in a safe and welcoming manner was the NT. Working with Chief Minister Michael Gunner’s Office, our Charles Darwin University-based IEAA Board Member Andrew Everett played a key planning coordination role. On 29 November 2020, 63 international students from five countries were welcomed back to undertake their studies. Despite initial hopes that the Howard Springs quarantine facility might be used as a transit hub for other states’ returning international students, the Federal Government announced that only returning Australian citizens would be accommodated there.

Queensland

The re-elected Palaszczuk State Government took some months before deciding to reconstitute its International Education and Training Advisory Group (IETAG). The IEAA CEO attempted to speed the process up by meeting with the newly appointed Champion Minister Sterling Hinchcliffe’s Chief of Staff in Brisbane on 16 December 2020. Happily, the IETAG was reformed with the IEAA CEO and Board Member Sarah Todd both reappointed. At its first meeting on 7 April 2021, it was made clear that the State Government’s preferred quarantine facility for returning international students would be the Wellchamp Airport in Toowoomba. Unfortunately, the Federal Government reiterated their opposition to this proposal. A group of senior Queensland public university executives then formed a committee to examine alternative options that might be put to the Minister.

Given the relative lack of COVID-19 lockdowns in Queensland, several in-person IEAA events were able to take place. These included a Young Professionals Chapter Networking event in October 2020, which was addressed by the newly confirmed IEAA President Janelle Chapman. The IEAA CEO was also able to make several trips to Brisbane over the twelve-month period, which included attending two National Strategy for International Education workshops on 17 May 2021.

South Australia

A great deal of planning was conducted by the three SA-based universities to get their state’s student return plan implemented. The first cohort of 300 students was supposed to arrive in late November 2020. However, as has so often occurred throughout the pandemic, a sudden statewide lockdown stopped everything. Notwithstanding this setback, the Marshall Government were the first to sign off on an official return plan which, as per the agreed National Cabinet process, was then endorsed by Federal Education Minister Hon Alan Tudge. At end of June 2021, we still await the implementation of this plan.

The IEAA CEO met with State Industry Minister Stephen Paterson to lobby for the return of students in Adelaide on 4 March 2021. The CEO also addressed an IEAA SA Young Professionals Networking event that evening. Flinders University then invited the CEO to be their guest at the annual CEDA SA Vice-Chancellors forum in Adelaide on 8 April. This trip also provided an excellent opportunity to have separate meetings with the new University of Adelaide ViceChancellor Peter Hoj, Flinders Vice-Chancellor Colin Stirling and the Chairman of Study Adelaide Sean Keenihan.

STATES AND TERRITORIES

Tasmania

On 25 May 2021, after a two-year absence, the IEAA CEO was able to travel to Tasmania and provide an on-campus international education environment scan presentation to academic and professional staff at the University of Tasmania. Meetings were also held with Acting Deputy ViceChancellor International Rob Wilson and ViceChancellor Rufus Black.

Victoria

For the state that relies the most on a vibrant international education sector, there was a disappointing lack of engagement from the Andrews Government. The state’s International Education Advisory Council, of which the IEAA CEO and Board Member Derek Scott were members, held its final wrap-up meeting on 24 September 2020. Not only was this a full three months before member terms were due to expire, but the state’s international education strategy was allowed to lapse from 30 June 2020 and no replacement Strategy was forthcoming for the next 12 months.

In May 2021, Trade and Investment Minister Martin Pakula finally announced a new International Education Advisory Council would be reconstituted, with IEAA Board Member Derek Scott an appointee. While the state budget’s rollover of funding for the sector was welcomed, including significant international student welfare support, there was very evidently little action in formulating a Victorian student return plan.

Western Australia

Enjoying unprecedented poll popularity, together with a renewed mining boom, State Premier Mark McGowan was in no hurry to support the return of international students to his state over the 12 months from July 2020 to June 2021.

After over one year of attending Study Perth Board meetings via Zoom, on 23 April 2021, the IEAA CEO was finally able to be physically present for a meeting. Our Association’s Vice President Simon Ridings is also a Study Perth Board Member.

A return trip to Perth was made possible on 13 May for two WA National Strategy workshops. This provided an opportunity to liaise with key WA based IEAA members and sector stakeholders.

IEAA EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Distinguished Contribution to International Education

Marc Weedon-Newstead

Marc’s career in international education spans over 40 years and has encompassed a diverse range of organisations and roles. At English Australia, he held Board positions from 1998–2018 and was Chair from 2014–2018. Recently he led the oversight of pathway programs as Group Executive, Education at UNSW Global. Marc’s passion for quality education and the student experience has led to innovative program development. At UNSW Global this contributed to its reputation for excellence in academic approach and offerings. As Chair of English Australia, Marc sought to raise the profile of ELICOS across governments and industry. Marc is a highly regarded leader in the sector.

Leadership in International Education

Heather Thomas

Heather has 27 years’ experience in education, including 17 years in leadership roles. Heather’s contribution to the sector also includes service as Secretary and Vice President of UECA and Director on the NEAS Board.

Heather has led many high-quality initiatives to promote innovation and staff–student collaboration including the College’s ELICOS program, the University of Wollongong in Dubai Language Studies Centre and participation in the leadership of the University of Wollongong Learning Co-Op.

IEAA EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Tony Adams Rising Star

Ocean Cheung

Ocean is the Programs and Marketing Coordinator at Practera, working with StudyQueensland to deliver its flagship employability initiative. While studying at UQ as an international student, Ocean co-founded Startup Interns.

Ocean received a Queensland IET Partnership Grant, developed the IEAA Student Entrepreneurship Research paper and has consulted for Austrade. Ocean created the Free Student Services Map, benefiting 20,000 students. In 2019, he was named Queensland Outstanding Young Achiever and is a Techstars APAC Community Leader.

Best Practice in International Education

Global Immersion Guarantee (GIG) Professor Sharon Pickering, Dean, Faculty of Arts, Monash University

GIG leads the way in mobility with transformative TNE experiences based on innovative funding models and best practice in program design and outcomes assessment. The GIG model delivers student mobility at scale and removes mobility barriers for low-SES and other minority groups.

For Monash, GIG has amplified global presences in key locations, fostered engagement and facilitated mobility relationships.

Best Practice in International Education

Victorian Certificate of Education Offshore Program Lisa Hayman, International Manager, Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority

Established by VCAA, the VCE Offshore Program expanded to Sri Lanka and Vietnam in 2020. VCE Offshore is delivered through an international school partnership model promoting strong global connections for Victoria and Australia and nurturing future global leaders. The program benefits students, teachers at offshore schools and Victorian partner schools, and tertiary institutions.

IEAA EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Innovation in International Education

FutureLearn Study with Australia campaign Sarah Stanton-French, Manager, International Education, Austrade

In 2020, Austrade partnered with FutureLearn to launch the ‘Study with Australia’ campaign to assist Australians in studying online during COVID-19, and to promote Australia as a leading study destination to a global network of learners.

The campaign ran until 31 July 2020, enabling Australian higher education institutions and English language training providers to showcase their digital learning portfolio. More than 800,000 global learners studied online via the campaign.

Outstanding Postgraduate Thesis

Le Thanh Huong Phan

PhD topic: Internationalisation of the Business Curriculum in Australian and VIetnamese Universities

This study compares the processes of internationalising business curricula in Vietnam and Australia and examines their impact on teaching and learning. By looking into IoC practices in the vastly different socio-cultural contexts of the two countries, this study deepens our understanding of the magnitude and the range of differences with regard to national and institutional responses to the common call for IoC.

Professional Commentary

Catalina Florez

A broadcast journalist of 12 years, Catalina has covered award-winning stories on important topics, including politics and environmental disasters.

Catalina is now a cross-platform senior journalist and presenter at SBS World News in Sydney. Recently her attention has turned to exposing the treatment of international students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her commentary around international student hardship and workplace exploitation is evidence-based and encourages readers to think critically about key aspects of international education policy.