There are numerous favourable reasons why international students opt to study in Australia. A review of the literature pertaining to the topic published over the last 5 years throws light on these reasons. Some of the major reasons include cost-effectiveness, multi-racial academic environment, prospects for employment after graduation, precedent of successful immigrant integration into society, government support for overseas students, etc. But the review also revealed how there are some issues of racism and political conservatism that discourage international student enrolment. Nevertheless, on balance, the favourable reasons outnumber and outweigh the drawbacks. The rest of this paper will highlight the array of reasons why international students choose to study in Australia, while also indicating the negative factors gleaned from the research.
It is a reflection of the attractiveness of Australia as a centre for higher studies that it ranks third among a dozen competing nations in the market for overseas education. On the latest available statistics,
“the education market grew 77 percent worldwide in the decade beginning in the year 2000. Australia is engaged in an ongoing race for the maximisation of its share. Currently it ranks third, equal with Germany at seven percent share of the total number of international students worldwide. The US and the UK are first and second respectively, at 18 percent and 9.9 percent. France is after Germany and Australia and has 6.3 percent, while Canada has 4.7 percent.” (Ramia, Marginson, & Sawir, 2013)
Australia is one of few countries that have a specialized welfare program for its international students during the entirety of their stay. Except for neighbouring New Zealand, no other leading country in the overseas education market has taken to this direct regulation approach. In countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, generic laws pertaining to universities and life on campus also govern the safety and behaviour of international students. In Australia, there is the robust Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Framework that serves as the main instrument of regulation within the campus. After having been enacted into law in 2000, the ESOS Act offers a comprehensive set of guidelines for universities in the National Code of Practice for Registration Authorities and Training to Overseas Students of 2001 (or the ‘National Code’). While international students find the protections and rights provided by these laws and codes as attractive, some social phenomena of recent years has given cause for apprehension. As a result, public debate rages on about student life in Australia, with concerns beign raised about honouring international students’ human rights. This controversy was intensified by
“a series of violent attacks in Melbourne and Sydney on students mainly from India, though other Asian students have also fallen victim, and not only in the larger cities. Yet ESOS has little to do with racism or personal safety. More avid followers of international education point to issues stemming from students migrating permanently upon the completion of their studies. Other matters include the protection of student tuition fees, public transport concessions and problems for students in accessing adequate housing and health care.” (Ramia, Marginson, & Sawir, 2013)
A strong incentive for overseas students to study in Australia is expectations from potential employers. In the globalized work environment, employers are looking for qualities such as cultural adaptability and bold decision making in the candidates. By virtue of enrolling in Australia international students display that they possess both these qualities. The workforce of a Multi-National Corporation is subject to periodic transfer from one work location to another. This could span the entire globe and hence an understanding of various cultures is a great asset. Those international students who come to Australia from developing countries such as India, Pakistan, China, South Korea and Eastern Europe are exposed to the capitalist-consumer culture prevalent in Australia to go along with their earlier experience in emerging economies. (Hassam, 2007, p.73) This makes them more suited to the trans-global nature of MNC operations. Moreover, employers are always looking for
“talents and characteristics that set candidates apart. The modern job market has witnessed study abroad emanating as a differentiating factor. The international student has displayed initiative that has led to an increased understanding of the world. In many cases, these applicants are more culturally aware and possess the adventurous spirit that lends to the productive, creative thinking necessary to excel in any organization or company.” (Martinez, 2011, p. 25)
Cultural, ethnic and national diversity within Australian campuses is another source of attraction to international students. Apart from the core syllabus, experiencing this diversity is an education by itself. This sort of education has its utility beyond considerations of employability. In other words, this extra-curricular experience prepares the international student for a life-time of interaction with people from various cultural, racial backgrounds.
“It fosters debate, generates mutual respect, and provides perspectives otherwise unfamiliar to students hailing from different areas of the world. Learning that takes place through dialogue can be just as pivotal to a group as lectures from a professor. Can a classroom really expect to generate a rewarding discussion about the theory of art, behavioral psychology, or the logistics of government without the viewpoints of the skilled musician from the inner city or the talented actress from suburbia? The same idea applies to learning that is done overseas; however, diversity is increased exponentially.” (Martinez, 2011, p. 25)
There is a strong political dimension to overseas student intake in Australian universities. The individual university board has limited powers in terms of setting quotas and eligibility criteria. But it is the broad governmental policy framework which is the engine behind the flourishing Australian education market. Like the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth government of Australia thinks of its international education project as a pillar of the country’s image to the rest of the world. The Colombo Plan was one such devise, whereby a substantial stream of students from south and south-east Asia were offered world class higher education in Australia since 1950. Today, educational links are sponsored directly “by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through AusAID scholarships and through funding agencies such as the Australia-Japan Foundation, the Australia-Indonesia Institute, the Australia-China Council and the Australia-India Council (2005).” (Trevelyan, 2010, p.101) This strong government involvement and interest is behind the success of Australia as a favoured overseas education destination.
Australia Education International (AEI) – which comes under the purview of the Australian Department of Education – releases a research report every few years. In its recent report, it identified six core reasons that international students seek to fulfil during the course of their study. These are “freedom; challenge; status; control; security; and affiliation”. (Basu et. al, 2007, p.23) The report went on to identify those needs which were associated with Australia and recommended that “Australia seek to adopt a brand positioning that covers the needs of freedom, challenge and status with slight variations by country and sector.” (Basu et. al, 2007, p.23) As a result, AEI adopted the slogan: ‘Explore the possibilities. Your future. Your world. Challenge yourself. Study in Australia.’ The new brand values portray Australia
“as a place that is refreshingly free of boundaries, inhibitions and constraints, and where ‘having a go’ is still possible. It is a place where blue sky thinking is the rule, not the exception. A place in which one cannot help but be irreverent, to approach things from a different angle and see life ‘in a different light’. It promotes the Australian values of irreverence, optimism, mateship, integrity, and originality, and shows how we ‘live differently’ in Australia”. (Basu et. al, 2007, p.23)
While there are so many favourable factors for studying in Australia, some discontentment has arisen in recent years. There is a brewing conflict between academic institutions and policymakers on the issue of English language proficiency of enrolees. It has come to light in recent years that nearly one third of international student graduates gaining permanent residency in Australia do not possess the minimum language skill requirements. In the standard International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exams they fall short of achieving band 6 scores that are deemed necessary for university admission. This relative lack of stringency in English proficiency requirements make Australia a destination of choice, especially for students from countries that are not exposed to English. This explains why Chinese and Korean students form a big contingency in Australian universities. But of late, since the government is heeding to the concerns of potential employers and has raised the “immigration requirements for permanent residency to favour IELTS band 7 and above applicants. This will put international student graduates under greater pressure to demonstrate competency if they wish to remain in Australia at the end of their degree.” (Stappenbelt & Barrett-Lennard, 2008, p.116) This qualification might change the perceived attractiveness of Australia as a destination for study and employment among aspiring foreign students in the future.
In sum, the pros outweigh the cons in evaluating Australia’s attractiveness as an overseas higher studies location. The most compelling reasons include cost-savings (when compared to studying in the USA or UK), culturally diverse academic environment, greater probability for employment after graduation, precedent of successful immigrant integration into society (especially from South and South-East Asia), official government programs (manifest as laws and regulations) for supporting international students, etc. But the review has also shown that issues of racism linger on in Australian society. The growingly more stringent admission requirements (especially with respect to English language proficiency) are also discouraging international student enrolment. But in the final analysis, the favourable reasons outnumber and outweigh the drawbacks. Australia is thus a serious contender in the overseas education market.
References
Basu, P. K., Hicks, J., & Sappey, R. B. (2007). Can We Do Business? A Study of the Attitudes of Chinese and Australian Business Students *. Australasian Accounting Business & Finance Journal, 1(3), 22+.
Hassam, A. (2007). Speaking for Australia: Cross-Cultural Dialogue and International Education. Australian Journal of Education, 51(1), 72+.
Journal Explores Experiences of International Students. (2010, November/December). International Educator, 19(6), 11.
Martinez, L. (2011, November 24). The Study Abroad Advantage: With International Exposure, Students Can Broaden Horizons, Boost Job Prospects. Diverse Issues in Higher Education, 28(21), 25.
Ramia, G., Marginson, S., & Sawir, E. (2013). The Regulation of International Student Welfare in Australia. Journal of Australian Political Economy, (71), 106+.
Stappenbelt, B., & Barrett-Lennard, S. (2008). Teaching Smarter to Improve the English Communication Proficiency of International Engineering Students-Collaborations between Content and Language Specialists at the University of Western Australia.Australasian Journal of Engineering Education, 14(2), 115+.
Trevelyan, J. P., & Tilli, S. (2010). Labour Force Outcomes for Engineering Graduates in Australia. Australasian Journal of Engineering Education, 16(2), 101+.