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AIEC 2009 Media Releases

ISSUED: 12 noon, 15 October 2009

AUSTRALIA HAS BEST GOVERNMENT POLICIES

FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS, SURVEY FINDS,

AS DEPUTY PM ADDRESSES CONFERENCE

Australia has the best government policies to protect international students, IDP Education research has found.

At today’s address to the Australian International Education Conference in Sydney by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Education Julia Gillard, IDP chief executive Tony Pollock outlined the research findings. He praised the efforts of Commonwealth and State Governments to protect Australia’s education reputation and the students who come here to study.

“Our survey of over 6000 students, which closed on 6 October, found that Australia ranked number one on the best government policies to protect international students – above the United States, Britain, Canada and New Zealand,” Mr Pollock said.

28.5 per cent of students ranked Australia first for policies to protect students, ahead of the US on 8.7 per cent, Britain on 7.8 per cent, Canada on 5.6 per cent and New Zealand 2.2 per cent.

Mr Pollock said the findings reflected the work by Commonwealth and State Governments over time in building a regulatory framework for international education.

“Australia has been a leader in anticipating the needs of international students and in taking the necessary legislative steps to protect them and our education reputation,” he said.

“Current efforts by the Commonwealth and States in working with students, overseas governments and the education industry to strengthen policy and practice, are particularly important.”

The Deputy Prime Minister today outlined her Government’s plan for international education policy, which included raising the bar for provider registration, increasing scrutiny of institutions, working with the Indian government to regulate their recruitment agents and reviewing Australia’s Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act.

What: Special Plenary (delivered Thursday 15 October 10am) The Hon Julia Gillard, MP, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Minister for Social Inclusion, Deputy Prime Minister.

Where: Australian International Education Conference, Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre (conference runs 13-16 October).

Hosts: IDP Education and the International Education Association of Australia.

Website: http://www.aiec.idp.com/home.aspx

Further information: Conference Media Office,

Meredith Jackson 0408 057 862 (+61 408 057 862) mj@meredithjackson.com.au

Tim Dodd 0407 440 160 (+61 407 440 160) tim.dodd@idp.com

13 October 2009

IT’S SYDNEY AND MELBOURNE FOR BIG-CITY FLAVOUR, BUT SMALLER CITIES SAFE, CLEAN AND AFFORDABLE – IDP RESEARCH

Sydney and Melbourne may have the big city, multi-cultural flavour, but international students have ranked Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth highest on affordability, cleanliness and being green, new IDP research has found.

Participants in the survey of over 6,000 international students said Adelaide was quiet, affordable, safe and clean. A similar profile was given to Perth, which scored highest on quiet and affordable, while Brisbane enjoyed a tick for being green and having outdoor activities.

The city-by-city findings are part of a major study on international students by IDP Education to be unveiled at the Australian International Education Conference. The event starts today (Tuesday 13 October – Friday 16 October) at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre.

“This shows why cities hoping to attract more international students need to play to their strengths,” said IDP chief executive Tony Pollock. “It is hard to argue with a finding that says Sydney and Melbourne have the entertainment and big city attractiveness, but a city with a reputation for being affordable, clean, quiet or green can be just as appealing to families overseas.”

The survey was conducted between 12 September and 6 October this year. Students ranked their top three from a list of 22 attributes (see graph).

Top three attributes by city were:

Perth – quiet, affordable, green

Adelaide – quiet, affordable, safe

Brisbane – outdoor activities, clean, green

Melbourne – big city, multi-cultural, international feel

Sydney – busy, big city, (good for) entertainment

IDP Education research

International students’ ranking of cities by attributes

Over 1,300 delegates from 40 countries will hear more findings from the new IDP research at this week's Australian International Education Conference at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour, from Tuesday 13 to Friday 16 October.

A highlight of the conference will be a special plenary address from The Hon Julia Gillard MP at 10am on Thursday 15 October.

AUSTRALIA STILL NUMBER ONE FOR SAFETY- NEW INDIAN STUDENT SURVEY

Australia still ranks number one for international student safety, according to a new survey of 1,130 Indian students and graduates to be unveiled at the Australian International Education Conference in Sydney on Wednesday 14 October.

The finding from wider research of over 6,000 students worldwide by IDP Education - the nation's leading recruiter of international students - also confirmed Australia as number one among Indian participants for best Government policies to protect international students – outranking all the other major English-language education countries Great Britain, the United States, Canada and New Zealand. Australia also scored highest on access to student visas and permanent residency.

Some 26 per cent of those surveyed ranked Australia number one for safety, ahead of Britain on 20 per cent, Canada 20 per cent, New Zealand 13 per cent and the USA on 5 per cent.

On best Government policies to protect international students, Australia won 19 per cent of the vote, followed by the USA 12 per cent, Britain 11 per cent, Canada 8 per cent and New Zealand 2 per cent.

"These results are very encouraging in the light of recent challenges to Australia's reputation as a quality, safe, and good value provider of education to Indian students," said IDP Education chief executive Mr Tony Pollock.

"We are seeing the benefits of the solid work that has gone in over time in building our reputation among Indian students, graduates and their families, as well as the work done recently by Government and education bodies to reassure them."

Indian students also ranked Australia the clear number one for access to permanent residency, with 47 per cent nominating Australia, followed by Canada 16 per cent, New Zealand 14 per cent, the USA 5 per cent and Britain on 2 per cent. The finding on immigration follows a call this week by leading demographer Bernard Salt of KPMG for Australians to "put up welcome signs" to international students, because those who stayed on here after study made ideal immigrants and were vital to Australia's economic future.

Rankings for best access to student visas were Australia 40 per cent, New Zealand 17 per cent, Britain 9 per cent, Canada 5 per cent and USA 4 per cent.

Over 1,300 delegates from 40 countries will hear the full findings of the new IDP research at this week's Australian International Education Conference at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour, from Tuesday 13 to Friday 16 October.

Another highlight of the conference will be a special plenary address from The Hon Julia Gillard MP at 10am on Thursday 15 October.

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE A RECORD – IDP EDUCATION

Registrations for the Australian International Education Conference 2009 in Sydney on 13-16 October are at a record high. This year’s event marks the 23rd anniversary of the conference, the largest of its type in the Asia-Pacific region and one of the top international education conferences in the world.

This year’s four-day event has attracted over 1300 delegates from higher, secondary, English language and vocational education, plus government and non-government agencies and the corporate sector. The line-up of high-profile speakers and attendance from around the world reflects heightened interest in international education, which is Australia’s third largest export industry and largest services export.

Australian universities consolidated their place internationally this year with eight universities in the 2009 The Times Higher Education rankings of the world’s top 100 universities, and the award of the Nobel Prize for Medicine to an Australian woman Dr Elizabeth Blackburn, who graduated from the University of Melbourne. The conference provides an opportunity to hear the latest research on international students and developments in international education.

A highlight will be a special plenary address from The Hon Julia Gillard MP at 10am on Thursday 15 October. Other presentations include:

1.50pm Wednesday 14 Oct: Bernard Salt, KPMG, leading demographer, on the social impact of international students on Australia.

4.30pm Wednesday 14 Oct: IDP Education research on international students – up-to-the-minute findings on current issues.

10.30am Friday 16 Oct: Chris Richardson, Head of Access Economics’ Macroeconomic Group and one of Australia’s leading macroeconomists on economic impact.

11.35am Friday 16 Oct: Jennie Brockie hosts a forum – International Education: Transforming Australia?

IDP Education, Australia’s foremost placement service for international students, and the International Education Association of Australia co-host the AIEC annually.

Further informationincluding full program and presenter details:

www.idp.com/aiec

http://twitter.com/AIEC

Interview requests:

Meredith Jackson 0408 057 862 (+61 408 057 862) mj@meredithjackson.com.au

Tim Dodd0407 440 160 (+61 407 440 160) tim.dodd@idp.com

7 October 2009

‘BABY BUST’ MEANS WE NEED INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS, BERNARD SALT TELLS AUSTRALIANS

Australia is facing such a gap in its tax base because of the looming “baby bust” it should be putting up welcome signs and embracing international students with open arms, says leading demographer Bernard Salt.

The KPMG partner will deliver his message at 1:50pm on Wednesday 14 October to the huge Australian International Education Conference 2009 at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre.

“Of the approximately 400,000 international students who study here each year, only around 20,000 stay on,” Mr Salt said. “We need to grow that number and Australians should be getting right behind the student migration program.”

He said Australia will otherwise struggle to a meet the retirement and health-care demands of its baby-boomers, who start turning 65 in 2011.

The conference, one of the largest of its type in the world, attracts international education delegates from more than 40 countries. It is jointly hosted by IDP Education and the Australian International Education Association.

“International students represent an outstanding source of skilled migrants – they’re young, educated, and keen to become Australians. The program not only works for us, but also for the countries that send them and provided their early education. They pay taxes here, but they also repatriate some funds home.”

He said as more people left the workforce to retire, Australian taxpayers in Generations X and Y would not be able to meet the double demand of funding public services and paying back the billions in debt used to fend off the global financial crisis.

“We are not likely to raise the tax rate substantially, so this means we need more people who can pay taxes, and they can only come from overseas. 18-year-old international students are ideal. But we will be competing with other nations that are equally keen to have them stay on.”

Mr Salt said Australia need to better manage student growth, so that affordable accommodation, rapid growth of cities and public relations issues triggered by violence against students do not become turn-off factors.

What: Presentation The Demography of International Education: Impacts on Australia: Bernard Salt. 1:50pm Wednesday 14 October.

Where: Australian International Education Conference, Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, 13-16 October.

Hosts: IDP Education and the International Education Association of Australia.

Website: http://www.aiec.idp.com/home.aspx

Further information and interviews: Bernard Salt +61 (0)3 9288 5047 or via Meredith Jackson + 61 (0)408 057 862

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