IEAA Vista Summer 2014

VISTA SUMMER 2014-5

BOLDLY GOING TOWARDS

GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

WHAT CAN STAR TREK TEACH US ABOUT GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP?

THE AGENT OF QUALITY IN RECRUITMENT SRI LANKA: SOUTH ASIA’S RISING STAR THROUGH STUDENT EYES RESEARCH STUDY

CONTENTS PUBLISHED BY International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) PO Box 12917 A’Beckett Street Melbourne VIC 8006 Australia + 61 3 9925 4579 admin@ieaa.org.au ieaa.org.au

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN: THE AGENT OF QUALITY

Vista is a magazine produced for IEAA members. It features in-depth analysis, insights and commentary on international education in Australia and around the world.

Elspeth Jones and Steve Smith

We welcome contributions from members and industry experts. If you would like to contribute to a forthcoming edition, please email your ideas to Peter Muntz at peter.muntz@ieaa.org.au.

All rights reserved. Articles may be reproduced with permission. Unless stated otherwise, opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the position of IEAA.

IN EDUCATION RECRUITMENT

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Brett Blacker TOWARDS 2015: THE YEAR AHEAD FOR IEAA

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Phil Honeywood BOLDLY GOING TOWARDS GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

WE’RE ALL GOING ON A SUMMER HOLIDAY

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Gordon Scott SOUTH ASIA’S RISING STAR: SRI LANKA IN FOCUS

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Tom Gifford THROUGH STUDENT EYES: THE WORLD’S TOP 500 UNIVERSITIES

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Tiina Niemi and Julian Longbottom

Copyright © 2014 COVER IMAGE cemagraphics (iStock)

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & CONFERENCES

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HIGHLIGHTS

BOLDLY GOING TOWARDS

GLOBAL

CITIZENSHIP

Why would anyone think Star Trek has anything to tell us about global citizenship? Elspeth Jones and Steve Smith boldly go where no man (or woman) has gone before. Page 10

SOUTH ASIA’S RISING STAR: SRI LANKA COUNTRY IN FOCUS A chronic shortage of university places means that many students are looking for study opportunities overseas, writes Tom Gifford. Page 18

THROUGH STUDENT EYES: THE WORLD’S TOP 500 UNIVERSITIES

A new StudyPortals report reveals that one in three Australian universities don’t respond to prospective student enquiries. Page 22

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

THE AGENT OF QUALITY IN EDUCATION RECRUITMENT There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach when it comes to regulation and quality assurance of education agents, writes Brett Blacker. Any future system needs to be fit for purpose and based on the unique attributes of Australia’s system.

The role of international education agents is undoubtedly a critical element in the recruitment of quality students to study in Australia. As the global education landscape continues to be more and more competitive, it is essential that this channel is respected and supported by effective quality assurance.

Much of the success of Australia as a preferred destination for students across the globe has relied on a professional network of in-country agents acting as the ambassadors for various educational offerings.

This differs somewhat to other countries who utilise state-funded and endorsed networks such as the British Council and EducationUSA. The quantum of students recruited through education agents across the various education sectors in Australia differs, but all sectors have a high reliance on this channel. In the case of universities, the Australian Universities International Directors’ Forum (AUIDF) annual benchmarking

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survey indicates that over 60 per cent of international student commencements have been supported by education agents over the past five years.

While each country has its own views around the use of agents and representatives – as any quality-based system should – other counties have approached quality assurance in differing ways.

In the US, for instance, support for the member-based, not-for-profit organisation American International Recruitment Council (AIRC) as a “stamp of quality” for agents and supporters of US education has been particularly strong.

Likewise, New Zealand has looked at endorsing quality education agents for its institutions and programs through an assurance (not accreditation) program. Unlike the US, however, it has chosen for this to be led through the statebased New Zealand Education.

Here in Australia establishing quality outreach programs for agents and extending accurate information for setting realistic expectations was a key aspect of the Chaney Review. ‘Education Agents’ are referenced as a key element in the National Code (Standard 4) and Professional International Education Resources (PIER) provides a well-recognised online agent training program.

Australia is also a signatory to the ‘Statement of Principles for the Ethical Recruitment of International Students by Education Agents and Consultants’ (March 2012), better known as the London statement.

It would be fair to say, however, that the implementation of these principles has been overlooked or piecemeal at best.

Until now the governance of agents recruiting into Australia has been selfregulated and relies on institutions to provide contractual, financial or other support to particular agencies as a means of quality assurance.

This could be an effective system for self-regulating agents. If no institution is prepared to support an agent, and will not pay a service fee (commission) for students through that entity, then the agency will have no means to survive.

However, it would be counter productive to consider a model that excluded new quality entrants due to similar conditions.

Models such as AIRC therefore require both demonstration of performance as well as institutional recommendation to apply for certification.

Australia is renowned for the quality of our international student data, particularly in regard to visa statistics. The Provider Registration and International Students Management System (PRISMS) now includes a dedicated field for agents, which could be a valuable source of data to inform quality assurance – provided the methodology behind the data entry and validation can be enhanced.

There is certainly no ‘one size fits all’ approach to regulation and quality assurance of education agents.

Although it is important to learn from our competitor countries, any future system needs to be fit for purpose and based on Australia’s unique attributes. It is also essential that high quality agents are provided the recognition and support they deserve. The question that needs to be asked, does Australia currently have the systems in place to deliver this for them?

Brett Blacker is Director International at the University of Newcastle and President of IEAA.

IEAA TO SCOPE AGENT QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM IEAA is set to undertake a muchanticipated project to scope the potential for a national quality assurance system for agents.

The industry-driven project, supported by the Federal Department of Education, will also investigate the development of a code of ethics and potential for education agent accreditation.

Focus group sessions with agents, institutions, government and peak bodies will commence early in the new year. A survey developed from focus group interviews and

the project steering committee will then be disseminated to key stakeholders in April 2015.

As education agents are critical stakeholders in Australia’s international education industry, it is imperative that the quality of advice they dispense to prospective students both overseas and in Australia meets the highest standards of probity and professionalism.

The project will explore these issues and report to the Department in mid-2015.

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TOWARDS

2015 Phil Honeywood casts his gaze to the year ahead and highlights some of IEAA’s key initiatives in relation to education agents, employability and international student accommodation.

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This is the time of year when many of us look back on what has been achieved, take stock of what may not have quite worked and hope that the New Year will enable us to progress exciting new concepts and work projects.

Happily, with IEAA’s decision midway through 2014 to distribute a monthly email update to our members, I was able to focus my December blog, ‘Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward’, on reviewing the year that was.

I attempted to analyse just where our dynamic international education sector in Australia had got to with its admittedly long wish list of policy reform priorities. It was a mixed report card.

In this edition of Vista, I have therefore departed from the usual ‘year in review’ article. Instead, I have sought to identify some important initiatives and projects, going forward, where IEAA believes it can add real value and better inform the sector – particularly in the first half of 2015.

The genesis of each of these projects has largely come from the advocacy efforts of our international students who are effectively represented by the Council of International Students Australia (CISA). Listening to their key concerns – and with

the support of the Australian Department of Education and the New South Wales and Victorian State Governments – IEAA will be hosting two national symposia on employability and international student accommodation. We will also undertake an important research project on education agents, which you can read all about in the President’s Column (see p.4).

Employability Symposium The employability of international students has emerged as a key issue facing the international education sector in Australia.

The intensity of competition for graduate entry jobs in Australia has heightened and for those international graduates planning to return home, foreign work experience is now considered critical.

However, there are a number of barriers facing international students seeking employment in Australia.

These include a lack of internships, lack of relevant work experience achieved during or before study, a more competitive job market overall and a lack of flexibility in the ESOS framework around international students undertaking optional work-integrated learning (WIL) initiatives as part of their studies (Gribble, 2014).

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TOWARDS 2015

These barriers coupled with an overall lack of opportunities has led to poor employment outcomes both during studies and post-graduation for international students in Australia.

There are further challenges for institutions to consider when assisting international students to be ‘work ready’. Firstly, there is the challenge of encouraging international students to obtain the types of attributes which employers seek, given that so many international students prioritise their studies ahead of building a suitable career resume and skills portfolio.

Consequently, a large proportion of international students engage too late in the careers life-cycle (Lawrence, 2014).

“Firstly, there is the challenge of encouraging international students to obtain the types of attributes which employers seek, given that so many international students prioritise their studies ahead of building a suitable career resume and skills portfolio.”

The second challenge is encouraging employers to recognise the benefits and potential afforded by international students educated in Australia, which includes negating many of the perceptions which can act as a barrier to recruiting international graduates (Lawrence, 2014). These perceptions invariably revolve around language and culture in the workplace; and the level of commitment needed in terms of sponsoring students, including the risks if students are not permitted to remain; and, the level of additional administrative burden that may bring for the company.

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IEAA’s one-day symposium will draw on existing research, engage with experts in the field and collaboratively engage with the broader international education community to develop strategies to address these barriers and to promote the benefits of employing international graduates.

A positive outcome will help build momentum towards developing practical policies, procedures and structures across institutions, government and industry to ensure a collaborative approach to improve employment options for international students – both during their studies through internships, WIL, part-time employment, as well as employment options after graduating via post-study work arrangements or once students return to their home countries.

International Student Accommodation Symposium This IEAA initiative is centred around a one day national symposium on international student accommodation. It envisages attendance from around Australia including student accommodation professionals, public and private education provider senior managers, government policy makers (drawn from all three levels of government) and student representatives.

Three specialist research papers will be commissioned prior to the symposium. This will ensure a high level of relevant new data and information is available that will assist delegates to be better informed and achieve meaningful outcomes from the day’s deliberations. The goal is for both the research papers and the symposium outcomes report to provide ongoing resource material to assist in achieving solutions to international students’ accommodation expectations.

Research paper topics will include: ■■ Benchmarking competitor destination countries’ international student accommodation policies, services and affordability ■■ Using Sydney as a case study to compare best practice international student accommodation challenges and solutions in Australia’s mainland capital cities ■■ Analysing Australia’s regional communities’ challenges and solutions to accommodating international students The need for this symposium has been clearly identified by: ■■ CISA identified at its annual conference held in Adelaide in July 2014 that student accommodation costs were one of the three most important issues affecting students’ decisions to study in Australia

■■ Recent media reports have identified landlord exploitation of international students particularly in the Sydney rental market.

■■ A number of State Governments have identified the provision of affordable rental housing as a major issue of concern across their states. Recently, the NSW Parliament Legislative Council Select Committee on Social, Public and Affordable Housing tabled its report to Government.

The first sentence of this report’s summary of key issues states: “In the current housing market many individuals and families are struggling to access appropriate housing.”

■■ The biennial iGraduate International Student Barometer (ISB), which surveys over 200,000 tuition fee paying international students around the globe, consistently rates Australia very poorly on student accommodation quality and cost.

Ironically, Australia rates very highly as a study destination under most other categories (e.g. education delivery standards, quality of life, parttime work availability) but we continue to be let down by both accommodation and overall living expense comparisons.

Unlike, many of our competitor countries, most of Australia’s internationally ranked public universities are located in our largest cities – this poses separate challenges for our regional based education providers in attracting and appropriately accommodating international students as well.

I am sure that all IEAA members will agree that we have a very active and stimulating start of the year ahead of us!

Phil Honeywood is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IEAA.

QS WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS

BY SUBJECT INTERNATIONAL FORUM 16th to 18th March 2015 Hosted by The University of New South Wales, Sydney The QS Intelligence Unit is proud to announce the 1st International Forum focused on highlighting, discovering and debating academic excellence at discipline level.

This inaugural event has been timed to coincide with the release of the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2015.

The registered delegates will receive an exclusive preview of the ranking for their chosen subject a week prior to the release.

This event will feature round tables, workshops and conference sessions led by experts in global higher education, illustrious academics and industry leaders in the subjects ranked.

Themes will include the relevance of rankings by subject to students, parents, employers, institutions and governmental agencies.

There will be a strong emphasis on interaction and sharing best practices.

For more information and to secure your place, visit:

www.iu.qs.com/Forum2015 SUMMER 2014-5 | 9

In partnership with:

BOLDLY GOING TOWARDS

GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

WHAT CAN STAR TREK TEACH US ABOUT GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP?

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What does Star Trek have to teach us about global citizenship? Elspeth Jones and Steve Smith boldly go where no man (or woman) has gone before.

Why would anyone think that Star Trek, a mere sci-fi series, has anything to tell us about global citizenship? Well, to deny it would mean simply taking it at face value as a piece of entertainment.

Diehard fans share the view that its underlying philosophy is what distinguishes Star Trek from everyday science fiction, which simply focuses on great battles, good versus evil and the ultimate supremacy of the human race.

Star Trek’s creator Gene Roddenberry was a great believer in diversity and the power humans have over their own destiny. The fundamental philosophy of his universe is that adversaries and alien life-forms are beings we should seek to understand, to learn from and which are deserving of respect. Particularly by the time of the Next Generation (1987–1994) and Voyager (1995–2001) series, Star Trek is based on the idea that there is a place for everyone in the universe and we should find a way to live together.

Roddenberry once said that, “If man is to survive [to the 23rd century], he will have learned to take a delight in the essential differences between men and between cultures. He will learn that differences in ideas and attitudes are a delight, part of life’s exciting variety, not something to fear.”

How does all this relate to global citizenship? In a discussion paper for IEAA’s national symposium on ‘Fostering Global Citizenship and Global Competence’ in August 2014, Kathleen Lilley identified a range of markers for the global citizen (Lilley 2014, p 8) including: 1. Leaves comfort zone 2. Thinks differently 3. Engages beyond immediate circle of peers, family and friends.

How are these key elements and their subcategories manifested in the Star Trek universe?

1. Leaves comfort zone ‘To boldly go where no one has gone before’ suggests a clear departure from one’s comfort zone, or as Lilley puts it “shows courage to go on a mobility experience”!

Another indicator here is “Engages and works with different ‘others’ and in learning activities ‘out of the comfort zone’”.

Early 1960s Star Trek made stumbling progress towards recognition of ethnic and cultural diversity (while failing dismally on gender – but that’s another story). The first crew featured African-American, Japanese and Russian members alongside a Vulcan first officer, Spock. They had largely resolved their racial, religious, ethnic, cultural and economic differences. The 1968 episode ‘Plato’s Stepchildren’ even featured the first televised interracial kiss between Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Uhura.

Global citizenship is the reality of the 23rd century universe that Star Trek inhabits. Diversity was also acknowledged and celebrated by the famous (though frequently abused) ‘prime directive’, which – in a thinly veiled reference to US foreign policy – swore Starfleet officers to non-interference with the civilisations of other planets.

Galactic peace and cooperation would be fostered by allowing other cultures to develop at their own pace and in their own way.

Learning not to interfere is as much of an out-of-comfort-zone experience as meeting unusual races and different planetary environments.

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GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

In ‘Half a Life’, the mother of a crew member falls in love with a brilliant scientist from another planet but learns that, like all members of his planetary species, he is shortly expected to undergo ritual suicide at the age of 60. The crew has to accept and tolerate this practice – which, it is argued, saves children from the burden of ageing parents – in spite of the fact that they find it barbaric and inhumane. Global citizenship means going beyond our comfort zone, including tolerance for and acceptance of customs and behaviour we may find shocking or inappropriate.

2. Thinks differently Lilley also argues that global citizenship means using moral and ethical reasoning in problem solving, questioning assumptions and imagining other perspectives and possibilities.

By the 1990s, Star Trek: The Next Generation had evolved along with society. The crew now featured an android and a Klingon (once the arch enemy) as bridge crew, as well as a visually impaired Chief Engineer. One of the most powerful Next Generation episodes, ‘The Measure of a Man’, considers whether the unique android should be considered property, without rights, or as a sentient being. This reflection on the subjugation of ‘inferior’ species is ultimately a discourse on the ethics of slavery and causes

“Star Trek’s creator Gene Roddenberry was a great believer in diversity and the power humans have over their own destiny. The fundamental philosophy of his universe is that adversaries and alien life-forms are beings we should seek to understand, to learn from and which are deserving of respect.”

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both the crew and the viewer to reconsider their position on the nature of life.

We also see other planetary species develop alternative perspectives. In an episode called ‘Who Watches the Watchers’, a less developed society views the advanced Starship Enterprise as magic and the captain as a god.

He attempts to dispel this myth by transforming the mindset of the leader of the group through logical and ethical reasoning, yet she is unable to convince her fellow villagers. They only accept this alternative view when the captain allows himself to be shot by an arrow to prove he is not immortal.

From this we can learn that, while some people readily question assumptions or imagine other perspectives and possibilities, others need more time and sometimes rigid views may mean that a change of mindset is ultimately unlikely.

3. Engages beyond immediate circle of peers, family and friends Examples of this, according to Lilley, include engaging with social and cultural others and showing ‘language pain tolerance’: patience, empathy and willingness to understand different accents and limited language skills.

Image: Douglas Kirkland/Corbis

Image: Sunset Boulevard/Corbis

Evidence here comes from one of the most positive depictions of hope for understanding between peoples in the episode ‘Darmok’.

The Enterprise comes across the Tamarians, a species with whom communication proves impossible – in spite of the famed ‘universal translator’.

The two captains initially fail to communicate at all, although they each use words the other can comprehend. They finally reach some understanding when together they confront a deadly foe and Captain Picard realises the Tamarians are using allegory and metaphor from their mythical past as a means of communication.

By listening and cooperating they eventually establish friendly relations while conveniently, for linguists, exposing the limitations of machine translation. Being willing and interested to seek common understanding when language is a barrier is a key feature of global citizenship.

Common humanity As Star Trek developed, Roddenberry’s celebration of diversity remained a distinguishing feature, but writers gradually demonstrated a greater appreciation not so much of what distinguished humanoid creatures from each other, but what they had in common.

In the Next Generation episode ‘The Chase’, an archaeologist has made an astonishing discovery, which competing species (Klingon, Romulan, Cardassian) believe may be an immensely powerful weapon.

“Early 1960s Star Trek made stumbling progress towards recognition of ethnic and cultural diversity ... they had largely resolved their racial, religious, ethnic, cultural and economic differences."

Each species has clues – parts of a puzzle which can only be solved by going to a particular planet. On arrival it transpires that the puzzle reveals evidence of a genetic pattern suggesting that all humanoids are descended from an early race which pre-dates all later civilisations and thus these warring races have a common ancestor.

There is a parallel in the Voyager episode ‘Distant Origin’, principally a story about science coming into conflict with political doctrine. Voth, a reptilian palaeontologist from a different quadrant of the galaxy, discovers that his supposedly superior species originated from Earth and thus shares genetic markers with ‘inferior’ mammals.

Alas, in both episodes, the forces of conflict and loyalty to one’s own species win out, as they so often do in the contemporary world. In ‘The Chase’ each species departs either in anger or disappointment, whilst Voth fails to convince his political leaders to tell their people the truth about these shared origins with other species.

However, this should encourage us to keep trying with tenacity and persistence. In Roddenberry’s terms, we need to help students take a delight in the similarities and differences between cultures, ideas and attitudes which are all part of life’s exciting variety.

Sharing alternative perspectives on our disciplines, working with diversity in our classrooms to support the development of intercultural competence, engaging with otherness and challenging stereotypes – these should be on our agenda for all students, either domestically or in transnational delivery. Let us continue to work hard, keep our “hailing frequencies open” and “make it so”!

Outcomes, papers, podcasts and a video from IEAA’s Global Citizenship Symposium are available at ieaa.org.au/global-citizenship

Nevertheless, peace between species and acceptance of others’ legitimacy are still presented as desirable but distant goals. Thus the writers glimpse the prospect of galactic citizenship, but in these episodes it remains, as yet, an unattainable vision.

Elspeth Jones is Emerita Professor of the Internationalisation of Higher Education at Leeds Beckett University, UK, and an international education consultant. elspethjones

Perhaps this is one of the most important points we can learn from Star Trek: as international educators we may try to develop our students as global citizens, but there are social and political forces which militate against our efforts.

Steve Smith was Head of Modern Languages at Ripon Grammar School, UK, and now runs the website www.frenchteacher.net offering online resources and advice for practising teachers of French. spsmith45 SUMMER 2014-5 | 13

WE’RE ALL GOING ON A SUMMER HOLIDAY The majority of international students will return to their home countries for the holiday season. Gordon Scott wonders how many have considered inviting their family or friends to experience an Aussie holiday instead?

As the year draws to a close, our attention turns to spending time with family and taking a wellearned break. Many of us will have one or two work goals to achieve before the end of the year, and then look forward to recharging our batteries.

So too will our students. The majority of international students who have been in Australia this year will return home for the holiday season. I wonder how many have considered inviting their family or friends to experience an Aussie holiday instead?

Tourism Research Australia figures show that for the year ending September 2014, international visitor arrivals aged 15 years and over increased 8 per cent to 6.3 million.

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The number of nights stayed increased 3 per cent to 221 million and trip spend increased 9 per cent to a record $30.7 billion. Clearly, Australia’s tourism industry has much to offer – as does our international education sector.

There is a tremendous opportunity for the Australian international education and international tourism sectors to work together to enhance the visitor experience.

‘Brand Australia’ is fresh, clean, dynamic and welcoming to international visitors, regardless of the purpose of their visit.

Perhaps a first step would be to encourage more of our students’ visiting friends and relatives (VFR) to sample the delights of Australia’s many tourist attractions during a forthcoming holiday period?

Image: Ximagination (iStock)

Together with British Airways, Tourism Australia launched a VFR campaign for the UK market earlier this year in order to increase airline patronage to Australia. In just one day, a campaign Facebook post asking who the audience was missing in Australia received 16,000 likes and almost 2,000 comments.

Since then, a short video outlining the human story behind the campaign has received over 1.3 million views (including over 800,000 on YouTube). And it’s achieved its key objective of getting bums on seats. British Airways had a target to increase sales between the UK and Australia by 8 per cent, but they actually achieved an uplift of 25 per cent in ticket sales – more than three times their target.

Imagine the results of an equivalent campaign aimed at the

family and friends of international students in Australia. Recent efforts in Queensland have seen tourism operators work with Government to encourage the families of international students to visit at graduation time and stay for subsequent tourism activity. In the year ending June 2014, 21 per cent of Chinese visitors to Australia were here as VFR. You’d be safe thinking a reasonable proportion of these people were visiting a family member who was studying here.

The rise of VFR can also provide a valuable service to our international education sector.

We all know the strength that positive word-of-mouth can serve to encourage student applications.

Many visiting relatives will be siblings of current students, or aunts, uncles, grandparents or friends of potential students.

A positive tourist experience here could, in turn, result in increased student applications, as well as a positive social benefit for Australian citizens with whom they interact.

Together the education and tourism sectors are the largest services export earner for our nation. Increased collaboration between the two can only lead to a bigger economic and social benefit for Australia.

Check out what the Australian tourist industry is serving up this holiday season. Who knows, maybe some of your students would like to be a part of it? australia.com Gordon Scott is a Management Consultant and IEAA Board Member.

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INFORM CONNECT COLLABORATE The International Education Research Network (IERN) is a one-stop portal for the international education research community.

■ Keep informed about the latest research, including analysis of trends ■ Access research digests, publications and other key resources ■ Learn about upcoming research events ■ Connect with researchers, policy-makers and potential research partners ■ Contribute to the discussion and help shape the international education research agenda.

ieaa.org.au/iern 16 | VISTA

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SRI LANKA

Image: anniep (iStock)

SOUTH ASIA’S RISING STAR

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SRI LANKA IN FOCUS With a population of almost 21 million, and an economy that has grown almost 7 per cent per annum over the past 10 years, the future looks bright for the island often referred to as the ‘Teardrop of India’, writes Tom Gifford.

While India remains the main focus of international recruitment efforts within the subcontinent, the demand for higher education in Sri Lanka offers significant opportunity for growth.

Current Australian Education International (AEI) statistics show a market that has flatlined, but the broadening of streamlined visa processing (SVP) arrangements to include certain vocational education and training (VET) and higher education providers could reinvigorate the market.

Almost five years after the end of a three-decade civil conflict, Sri Lanka is now focusing on long-term economic growth as it embarks on its goal to transition to an upper middle income country. Providing young people with skills and education is widely accepted as the key to unlocking Sri Lanka’s potential.

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SRI LANKA IN FOCUS

Demand for education While Sri Lanka is one of the few countries in the world that provides universal free education from primary to tertiary level, a chronic shortage of university places means that many students are looking for study opportunities overseas. With many Sri Lankan parents and students placing a high priority on education, this lack of local undergraduate places presents opportunities for Australian institutions.

The Sri Lankan school system provides a strong education platform, with the majority of students completing UK or local A-Levels. Sri Lanka also has one of the most literate populations among developing nations and many Sri Lankan students have a high level of English.

Sri Lanka’s capital city Colombo is the country’s economic hub. With an abundance of international schools, universities and agent offices, this is where Australian universities currently focus their student recruitment activities. But opportunities are emerging in Kandy, as well as Jaffna which is seeing a resurgence in economic activity – primarily in agriculture.

While there is considerable appetite for ELICOS and overseas education in Jaffna, awareness of opportunities in Australia is limited.

The Sri Lankan market Although the US and the UK remain the destination of choice for international students from Sri Lanka, Australia’s current marketshare is 16 per cent. Increased competition from more affordable study destinations such as Canada and New Zealand, as well as Singapore and Malaysia which are positioning themselves as global education hubs, suggest that we need to offer more to remain competitive – particularly with the high cost of studying in Australia.

The introduction of SVP has proved advantageous to Australian universities, but VET providers have seen a drop in commencements by two thirds from 2011 to 2014.

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While it is anticipated that the broadening of SVP will generate renewed interest in the VET sector, questions remain over whether post-study work arrangements will apply to these students. Only time will tell as to whether the anticipated rise of enrolments in the VET sector will be to the detriment of interest in students seeking a tertiary education.

As a price sensitive market, there are many ways that Australian institutions are mitigating the higher cost of studying in Australia.

Scholarships are highly sought after

by Sri Lankan students (as they are in most countries!) as they offer cost saving as well as a sense of prestige for students and their families.

Setting up articulation arrangements with institutions in Sri Lanka where students have the opportunity to complete part of their degree in Sri Lanka is also popular due to the significant cost savings.

Student experience The Australian Government’s introduction of post-study work arrangements certainly offers an advantage for Australian institutions in Sri Lanka. As a result, many students are specifically looking for courses with a minimum duration of two years. The unanswered question is whether students’ expectations of gaining meaningful employment in Australia upon graduation are met. In today’s digital age, students will instantly relay their experiences in finding employment to their networks via Facebook, Twitter or other social media platforms. ‘Word of mouth’ has never been so important.

The importance of the student experience in Australia is also vital in terms of student recruitment. Word of mouth from friends and family is a major factor for students from Sri Lanka. According to AEI data, Victoria attracts over half of the Sri Lankan students who choose to study in Australia. Is it coincidence that Victoria’s capital city Melbourne is also home to Australia’s largest Sri Lankan population?

Image: hometowncd (iStock)

Having a friend or relative in a city is a great way for potential students to hear positive feedback. Studying in a city where friends or family are living also offers cost savings for students and their families which has a huge impact in offsetting the high cost of living in Australia.

interested in issues such as safety, support services, lifestyle and career opportunities. Currently Australia is well regarded in these areas, and it is important that we continue to showcase these advantages effectively.

Institutions from cities with smaller Sri Lankan communities need to work harder to ‘champion’ their Sri Lankan students, both in terms of student experience and graduate outcomes. We all know the power of alumni and their capacity to add an authentic voice to an institution’s message, but we need to improve in this area to ensure the message is heard.

The release of the New Colombo Plan presents an opportunity for universities in Australia to develop deep and meaningful engagement with institutions in Sri Lanka. The concept of young Australian students spending time in Sri Lanka sends a message that Australia is focussed on deep and meaningful engagement in the region, rather than focussing solely on student recruitment. This engagement in the region also provides a platform to increase research collaboration and exchange opportunities, all of which can build a university’s brand in Sri Lanka and ultimately assist attracting more students.

As the market in Sri Lanka is primarily undergraduate, students travel overseas at an early age. Therefore parents and school career counsellors have considerable influence in where a student will study. As well as quality education, parents and career counsellors are also

The New Colombo Plan

“While Sri Lanka is one of the few countries in the world that provides universal free education from primary to tertiary level, a chronic shortage of university places means that many students are looking for study opportunities overseas.”

Future demand The demand for education, skills and training from Sri Lankan students and their parents remains high, which will create long term opportunities for Australian universities and the VET sector.

Furthermore, a lack of places for undergraduate students in local universities suggests that the demand for overseas study options will continue to grow. While student numbers from Sri Lanka will always be moderate, the demand for education indicates that if Australia can successfully showcase its quality education – as well as other considerations such as safety, support services, lifestyle and career opportunities – consistent growth can be achieved.

Tom Gifford is Regional Coordinator (Middle East, South Asia and Africa) at the University of Adelaide. He is also Deputy Convener of IEAA’s Marketing, Recruitment and Communication Special Interest Group (SIG).

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Image: aleksle (iStock)

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THE WORLD’S TOP

500 UNIVERSITIES

THROUGH

STUDENT

EYES

University websites are a key source of information for prospective students, but new research has found that the material provided is often scattered and of poor quality, write Tiina Niemi and Julian Longbottom.

A new research report from StudyPortals reveals that one in three Australian universities don’t respond to prospective student enquiries.

The ‘Through Student Eyes’ research study, which was supported by the British Council, presents a detailed analysis of the world’s top 500 universities1 and their provision of information to prospective international students.

Using mystery shopping methodology, a team of international student researchers assessed the ‘findability’ of each university’s website, ease of locating key information and their responsiveness to student enquiries.

Although university websites are a key source of information for prospective students, the research found that the material provided is often scattered and of poor quality. Universities also use complex and unfamiliar language that can confuse prospective international students.

1 Universities were chosen based on the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities. To ensure concise and complete coverage, all universities within the top 100 of the most recent US News rankings, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the Academic Ranking of the World Universities (the Shanghai Ranking) were also included.

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THROUGH STUDENT EYES

Altogether 19 Australian universities were included in the research findings. Australian universities ranked fifth overall, surpassing their biggest competitor the USA. Although Australian universities generally had excellent information available, they fell down in terms of findability and responsiveness.

Responsiveness to student enquiries Looking at responsiveness to student enquiries, more than half of the universities analysed replied within 24 hours. However, many did not reply to student enquiries at all.

The ‘no reply rate’ was the highest in Asia, but also relatively high in Australia.

Only 12 per cent of universities analysed sent a reminder to interested prospective students. 68 per cent replied to the initial student enquiry, but did not contact the prospective student again.

Graph 1 Average score by country

24 | VISTA

Contact forms versus enquiry emails Contact forms are more widely used among Australian universities than in the rest of the world, where enquiry emails are the predominant means of student contact. This gives Australian universities a head start in keeping track of interested students and, as a result, they are more likely to send a reminder email to prospective students than their counterparts in the rest of the world.

On the other hand, Australian universities are more likely not to respond to a student enquiry when using a contact form instead of email.

In general, key information – such as degree level and type, application deadlines and duration of the program – was considered easy to find across all of the top 500 university websites.

However some information, such as accreditation, was difficult to find for 26 per cent of Australian universities (see Graph 2).

Graph 2 Ease of finding information on universities’ webpages in Australia

Room for improvement?

In general, most university webpages were easy to navigate and the information provision was good. However, the study found room for two major improvements.

First of all, it is important to make it easy for students to contact the university and respond to those enquiries within a reasonable time.

Students are more likely to choose a university that responds to their enquiries than those they never hear from.

Secondly, many universities fall down on keeping up the communication. Students may receive an initial reply, but no further contact. It is highly recommended to use a customer relationship management (CRM) system to keep track of interested students. Enquiry forms offer an easy way to collect and collate information on interested students.

Suggestions for improving your website and communication with prospective students include: ■■ Use plain language and highlight important information in boxes ■■ Clearly specify your language entry requirements

■■ Publish testimonials and experiences of real students ■■ Ensure your website is mobile ready ■■ Pay attention to SEO and Google Analytics ■■ Link to your FAQs section before students submit an enquiry form ■■ Send a follow-up with a reminder within a week or so ■■ Consider a separate (sub)domain of your website specifically targeted to prospective international students that can be optimised for conversion, tracked and maintained by your international department.

More information Individual reports are available for all surveyed universities, which will allow institutions to benchmark their results with that of other universities in their region.

For more information, please contact Julian Longbottom, Director Asia-Pacific, StudyPortals julian@studyportals.com.

Find out more about the ‘Through Student Eyes’ research study at studyportals.eu/research/ top-500-benchmark SUMMER 2014-5 | 25

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

NATIONAL

FORUMS SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP (SIG)

IEAA is pleased to introduce National Special Interest Group (SIG) Forums from 2015.

National SIG Forums will provide international education professionals with an annual ‘must attend’ event, which will focus on the latest trends and developments affecting their specialist area.

These forums will give participants access to: ■■ A greater range of issues, covered in more depth than traditional workshops ■■ Enhanced opportunities for networking and collaboration ■■ More affordable registration fees.

EVENT

Pathways SIG Forum Sponsored Students SIG Forum Outbound Mobility SIG Forum Marketing, Recruitment & Communication SIG Forum IEAA Employability Symposium Transnational Education SIG Forum IEAA Student Accommodation Symposium Internationalisation of the Curriculum SIG Forum Admissions & Compliance SIG Forum

Keep an eye on monthly IEAA member updates for further developments.

Registration opens 1 February 2015 26 | VISTA

British Council Global Education Dialogues: The Role of Technology in the Race for Global Talent 26–27 January 2015 Seoul, South Korea britishcouncil.org/education/ihe

February 2015 Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA) 15–18 February 2015 Washington, US aieaworld.org

March 2015

CONFERENCES

January 2015

British Council Global Education Dialogues: From Catapults to Commercialisation 9–10 March 2015 Canberra, Australia britishcouncil.org/education/ihe Universities Australia 11–13 March 2015 Canberra, Australia universitiesaustralia.edu.au

DATE

LOCATION

16 March

Sydney

13 April

Canberra

23–24 April

Sydney

7–8 May

Melbourne

15 May

Melbourne

29 May

Melbourne

26 June

Sydney

3 July

Melbourne

14 August

Brisbane

Asia-Pacific Association for International Education (APAIE) 23–26 March 2015 Beijing, China apaie.org Forum on Education Abroad 25–27 March 2015 New Orleans, US forumea.org

May 2015 NAFSA Conference & Expo 24–29 May 2015 Boston, US nafsa.org

June 2015 Going Global 2015 1–2 June 2015 London, UK britishcouncil.org/going-global

August 2015

ieaa.org.au

Australian Council for Private Education & Training (ACPET) 26–28 August 2015 Melbourne, Australia acpet.edu.au SUMMER 2014-5 | 27

Contact us IEAA Secretariat PO Box 12917 A’Beckett Street Melbourne VIC 8006 Australia +613 9925 4579 admin@ieaa.org.au

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