Policy, Processes, Public Relations: A National Strategy for Australia s International Education Industry

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1 Policy, Processes, Public Relations: A National Strategy for Australia s International Education Industry Stephen Connelly Director International Programs La Trobe University Melbourne October 2002 This paper is being presented by Stephen Connelly in his capacity as Chair of the Victorian International Directors Committee (VIDC). VIDC in 2002 adopted a charter to establish itself as a pro-active, agenda -setting industry forum aiming to collect, analyse and disseminate information, generate policy proposals for consideration, promote professional development, commission research and conduct industry benchmarking. Its mission is to support and enhance the profile of international education in Victoria. These developments became VIDC s contribution to an ongoing discussion among international education professionals in universities in Australia on the need for a coordinated national strategy for the international education industry. Proposals for industry research and alliances and the development of an outreach program were discussed. A national strategy is necessary to enable the international education industry to engage government at the three levels (federal, state, local), the general public and the business community in the ongoing debate about the place of international education in broader Australia and international cultural, business and educational contexts. This paper describes activities over the past twelve months in pursuit of a national strategy, drawing on outcomes of meetings of International Directors at Australian Universities and the activities of the Victorian International Directors' Committee.

2 The Victorian International Directors Committee had a conceptual breakthrough earlier this year when we recognised that VIDC has two constituencies. The internal constituency includes universities and their communities plus the Australian Vice- Chancellors Committee. The external constituency includes government at the three levels in Australia, business and the Australian and specifically Victorian community. The internal constituency is made up of the people we meet at education conferences, who see Australia s international student program as diversification of Australia s education institutions. The external constituency is made up of the people we meet at dinner parties, at golf, at Rotary, in our dealings with government, who know little about Australia s international student program, who wonder what my day job at La Trobe is. This external constituency invariably is surprised to learn that international education for Australia is an industry, an export industry that is bigger than wool and nearly as big as wheat. VIDC this year has put a lot of effort into informing this external constituency, into seeking recognition of international education in Victoria, and into engaging government, business and the community in the international education industry. I will describe our approach to both the internal and external constituencies in more detail later in my presentation Australia s International Education Industry Australia s involvement internationally in education and training is diverse. The activities undertaken by universities include delivery of education and training programs onshore, offshore programs incorporating delivery by distance education or online or face to face in offshore campuses and other local facilities, corporate training and professional development, project work and collaborative research, to name a few. Other sectors contribute to the totality of Australia s international education program, including English language instruction and testing, primary and secondary schooling, vocational education and training, and a variety of high school alternatives, diplomas and other pathways programs. Public and private educational providers and other organisations are represented. The industry is clearly comprehensive, complex and varied. 1

3 It is also big. At tertiary level, in 2001 there were 112,000 international students in Australia s universities. Of these, 84,000 (75%) were studying on campus in Australia and 28,000 (25%) were studying from overseas through other modes of delivery. These 112,000 international students made up 15.5% of the 726,000 students in Australian universities in Those studying in Australia made up 12% of all university students in Australia 1, and overall international education in the tertiary sector has grown at an average annual rate of 16% over the last five years. 2 In addition to the numbers of international students in universities, in the year 2000 another 31,000 international students were in vocational education, including those using certificates and diplomas as pathways to higher education, 37,000 were studying English, often as a prelude to higher education, and 13,000 were in schools, many on the way to higher education. Over and above the 37,000 students studying English on student visas, who stay in Australia an average 27 weeks, a further 27,000 students study short-term English courses on tourist or working holiday visas, staying in Australia an average six weeks. 3 International education is a significant export industry for Australia. International students pay full fees for their courses and inject $4 billion annually into Australia s economy. 4 The Australian Bureau of Statistics in September 2001 provided, on a commercial basis, a league table of Australia s exports. Wheat in 2000/01 was worth $4.1 billion in exports, education $4 billion and wool $3 billion. Participants in a VIDC Conference in Melbourne in August 2002 were briefed on a yet to be released study by Australian Education International and the Australian Vice-Chancellors Committee on the economic benefits of international education. The study shows that the industry is worth around A$4.4 billion annually to the national economy. In employment terms, this represents a direct contribution of about 42,000 jobs to the Australian economy, plus an indirect contribution or flow on of about A$1.8b worth of jobs. Yet in spite of the industry s size, diversity and the fact that it is growing both at home and overseas, international education has little public profile. In addition, the complexity of the industry means that policy development is often a difficult process, requiring liaison between government (multiple departments, federal and state), providers in all sectors and with different staff within those providers, significant industry players such as IDP and other ancillary bodies. The flow -on effect of policy decisions to the operational level can result in confusion and contradictions as industry practitioners try to interpret and implement policy decisions and new regulations. Interpretations of parts of the ESOS Act and National Code 5, particularly the definition of full-time enrolment for international students at universities and paragraph 40 (the double fail clause) are cases in point. The Victorian International Directors Committee (VIDC) has recognized the need to raise the public profile of the industry, and the need to better coordinate consultation as regards policy development within the tertiary sector. This paper describes the activities of VIDC over the past few years, to demonstrate what we have been doing, why we have been doing it, and the outcomes we hope to achieve in terms of these two issues. Victorian International Directors Committee 2

4 VIDC was originally established as Education Victorian in the late 1980 s, providing a forum in which International Directors could share information, discuss matters of mutual concern and address issues current in the international education industry. Following a name change in the early 1990 s to Victorian Universities International (VUI) member universities international offices began to make an annual contribution, which paid for an Executive Officer one day per week to help with the organization of meetings, project work, research and professional development activities, and organization of the annual Christmas function. The Chair moved from one university to another - past chairs of Ed Vic/VUI include Tony Pollock (initially University of Melbourne, now Monash International), Melissa Banks (then RMIT, now an independent consultant), Ken Hawkins (then of the University of Ballarat, now CQU in Melbourne), Ian McCormick (then of Swinburne University of Technology, recently retired), John Boyce (the RMIT, now AIM), and Jandy Godfrey (then Deakin International, now at IDP). In 1999, VUI reached its lowest point, with no meetings being held in the second half of the year at all, the culmination of a decline in VUI activities during 1998 and At the beginning of 2000, members debated the value of VUI and the role it might play in the industry. All universities re-confirmed their commitment to the committee, and the decision was made to upgrade the Executive Officer position to three days per week to enable VUI to undertake work the members felt was important. Chief among the issues of concern at that point was advocacy for public transport concessions for international tertiary students in Victoria. In April 2000 a new Executive Officer was appointed and VUI set about re-invigorating itself. Due to the establishment of an international division at Victoria University in 2001 called Victoria University International (VUI) the committee changed its name to the Victorian International Directors Committee (VIDC). The new name better reflected who belonged to the committee, even if it was not immediately apparent what the committee did. Over the past two and a half years, VIDC has undertaken a range of activities, and invited a diversity of individuals and organisations to participate in VIDC committee meetings and other activities. Activities have included: Benchmarking including cost of running an international office, cost of recruiting students from various countries, university financial contributions to outgoing exchange students, comparison of formulae for distribution of international student fees within universities Development of a portal website for international education in Victoria (all sectors) / DIMIA briefing on 2001 student visa reforms all sectors participated Joint VIDC/ISANA ESOS and visa regulations meeting An annual program of professional development seminars for the international education industry in Victoria, including Risk Management Seminar, Orientation to International Education (for newcomers to the industry One day mini-conference International Education: where are we heading? 160 registered participants from all sectors and other industries associated with international education. 3

5 Guests at VIDC meetings have included: Lindy Hyam, CEO, IDP Jandy Godfrey, General Manager, Global Service Group, IDP Bob Goddard, AVCC Dr. Terry Stokes, Director, Higher Education, Victorian Department of Education and Training ISANA Victoria VISION International NLC representatives. It should also be noted that a Victoria TAFE International (VTI) representative attends VIDC meetings, as do representatives of the Victorian Department of Education and Training, and current VIDC membership extends to tertiary providers in Victoria such as CQU and ACU. Having become during 2000 and 2001 a more focused and active organization, although primarily concerned with professional development and issues within its own backyard, VIDC began to consider broader issues of policy development in relation to the international education industry. The idea of a national strategy for international education in Australia and the feeling among International Directors that they were an underutilized resource in terms of policy development have been around for some time. Both issues were the topic of discussion at an International Directors dinner co-organised by Jennie Lang (UNSW) and Tony Adams (Macquarie) held prior to the 2001 Australian International Education Conference in Sydney. Speakers at the dinner addressed the topic of a nationa l strategy for international education, the need for better coordination of national strategy development, and the need for more input from a national group of International Directors, as yet unformed and without official recognition. There was however a growing recognition not only among International Directors that this group needed to have a means of contributing more effectively to issues of importance to Australia s international education industry. In December 2001 Bob Goddard attended a VIDC meeting where he indicated that the AVCC planned to hold a meeting of all International Directors early in In preparation for this meeting, in February 2002, the International Directors of the then eight member universities of VIDC held a strategy seminar, facilitated by Alan Olsen and Rob Lawrence. The objective was to try to crystallize the raison d etre for the committee, to more effectively define the role of VIDC, and set an agenda for the proposed AVCC-convened meeting of International Directors. The VIDC Charter was one outcome of that seminar. The Mission of the committee as defined in the Charter is as follows: VIDC s mission is to support and enhance the profile of international education in Victoria. 4

6 The Charter further defines the role of the committee: VIDC is to be a pro-active agenda setting industry forum that collects, analyses and disseminates information, generates policy proposals for consideration, promotes professional development, commissions research and conducts industry benchmarking on behalf of the university sector in relation to the international education industry in Victoria. Considering the international education industry contributes about A$1 billion annually to the Victorian economy 6 the importance of VIDC carrying out these activities should not be understated. The Charter goes on to state that the committee s activities: (do) not extend to marketing activities or events targeted at the recruitment of international students. This has long been the position of VUI/VIDC the committee has always been a collaborative effort by universities which in all other respects compete against one another in terms of international student recruitment. There is no reason why the competitive nature of the industry should preclude the simultaneous pursuit of collaborative activities by VIDC member institutions. A second outcome of the strategy deliberations was the development of an agenda for the National Directors Day. In summary, VIDC proposed that: the primary purpose of discussions at the Directors Day should be to determine whether a National Strategy for International Education is a desirable objective, and if so what role International Directors might have and what strategies should be adopted to encourage and support discussion of the matter nationally. In line with its own Charter, VIDC proposed that the Directors Day be about positioning international education in Australia, with the AVCC in the lead. VIDC recognises the need to work through existing structures, to enhance the effectiveness of those structures, and to ensure the concerns and ideas of International Directors are able to percolate up through those structures to the point at which policy deliberations are made. This is where the internal and external constituencies became important. Constituencies VIDC internally is an industry forum for the assimilation, sharing and dissemination of information, including for benchmarking, and for mutual advice, guidance and support, in the context of an industry that operates in accordance with both regulations and codes of ethics. VIDC internally positions itself as a source of advice on international education within the university sector, informing Pro Vice-Chancellors, Deputy Vice-Chancellors and Vice- Chancellors and their groupings, ultimately seeking to have its views flow through these channels to peak bodies and associations including the Australian Vice-Chancellors Committee VIDC internally carries out professional development activities, targeted at staff in international offices of its member universities, staff in other areas of universities and staff with international responsibilities in other education sectors. In its professional development responsibilities, VIDC 5

7 is seeking to provide leadership to its industry in Victoria, and is committed to working with the professional associations including ISANA, VISION International, English Australia and NLC. VIDC externally seeks to use industry research to inform its external constituency: government at the three levels in Australia, business and the Australian and specifically Victorian community. By informing this constituency it seeks recognition of international education in Victoria, and it seeks engagement in the international education industry from government, from business and from the community. VIDC externally seeks to engage government at the three levels on issues where international education intersects with government policies in areas as diverse as visas, work rights and skilled migration, health and health insurance and transport. VIDC externally seeks to provide leadership in the process of outreach to the community, using industry knowledge and research to enable the industry to inform the Victorian community about international education. VIDC externally, acknowledging the economic and employment impact of the international education industry in Australia and specifically Victoria, seeks to set up alliances with businesses and industry groups, for the benefit of the international educ ation industry and for the benefit of international students. Specifically for this external constituency, VIDC has put together an Outreach Presentation, a set of PowerPoint slides that International Directors can take and present to the external constituency; government at the three levels, business and the community. Outreach Program In April 2002 VIDC prepared a PowerPoint presentation on International Education and its impact on Victoria s economy and community, Bigger than wool, nearly as big as wheat. The presentation has so far been used to raise awareness among such organizations as local councils and state government departments about the significance of the industry for government, business and the community in general. VIDC also sees this kind of activity as the first step in a national public relations program to raise the profile of the industry. The presentation has since been made available to International Directors around the country. Alliances The Outreach presentation clearly demons trates the benefit of International Education to business and industry. A few simple facts illustrate this: International students spend each year $586 million on accommodation $382 million on food $153 million on telephones $141 million on recreation and entertainment $122 million on international air travel $43 million on health insurance. 7 6

8 Not enough has been made of the potential for alliances between the International Education industry and these other sectors of the economy. The VIDC submission to the Directors Day states: Research on actual and potential alliances would inform the international education industry, and enhance recognition of the industry and engagement from government, business and industry and the community an industry body that recognises the economic and employment impacts of international education on its membership is likely to actively engage its members and to influence other industry bodies, government and the community. One specific goal of alliances of this nature would be collaborative research between business and industry and the international education industry. Research Agenda In support of a national public relations program and better use of potential alliances, VIDC proposed a research agenda for consideration at the National Directors Day. The soon to be released AEI/AVCC Economic Impact Study provides a much-needed look at the current impacts of the industry on the national economy. VIDC proposes that this study be further developed to the state and regional level it is our contention that the economic benefits of the industry are even more keenly felt in regional areas, providing an argument, if this can in fact be demonstrated, for more support for international education in regional centers. Outcomes of the National Directors Day The major outcome of the National Directors Day was the formation of a working group commissioned with the task of drafting terms of reference for the establishment of a national grouping of International Directors. In August a second meeting was held where the draft terms of reference were debated, a Chair and Executive Committee elected and the Australian Universities International Directors Forum (AUIDF) established, pending individual university responses to the outcomes of the meeting. Discussion at the meeting centred on the important nexus between the Directors group and the AVCC s DVC/PVC (International) Committee. It was agreed that future AUIDF and DVC/PVC (I) meetings would be held back to back, with agendas for each meeting developed in tandem, and with the Chair of the AUIDF charged with the responsibility of reporting on proceedings to the DVC/PVC (I) meeting. This structure and line of reporting recognizes the need to adhere to established structures within the tertiary sector for policy development, enabling International Directors to have their views considered as part of the ongoing national policy debate. Why the Fuss? Why is it so necessary to raise the profile of International Education, and to coordinate policy development such that International Directors, with their operational expertise, can have their views considered? Anyone who has had to deal with implementation of aspects of the legislation and regulations introduced in 2001 will know the answer to the second part of that question. How are we all dealing with definitions of full-time enrolment, recognition of prior learning, and the reporting of non-compliant students, as soon as practicable to DIMIA? How many resources have we devoted to compliance issues, legal advice and other factors post- July 2001? 7

9 Further policy deliberations need to be informed by the views of a group such as the International Directors so that implementation of new or amended regulations and legislation is less fraught with difficulty than the experiences of the past twelve months. This is not to say that International Directors did not have the opportunity to contribute to the policy debate prior to the implementation of the National Code. But the structures did not exist to develop the collective will of this group and enable it to put forward considered responses to the proposed changes. But why then try to engage government, business and industry, and the broader community? Surely the answers are clear. A whole of government approach to International Education, rather than the common perception of tension between the two key departments, the Department of Education Science and Training (DEST) and the Department of Immigration Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) is highly desirable. Acknowledgement in Cabinet and by the Prime Minister of the value of the industry might help to achieve this. A business community attuned to the employment and other economic benefits of international education might be more willing to engage in collaborative work with the industry, for example, public transport providers in Victoria agreeing to concessions for international students, or real estate agents who treat international students like real people, or companies providing scholarships for incoming international and outgoing domestic students because they recognize the other non-commercial benefits of international education, those cross-cultural exchanges and linkages that get lost in discussions about dollars and numbers. We would all love to have more interaction with community groups that welcome international students to their functions, outings and homes, complementing the work that our own student support staff do so well with limited resources, and further enhancing the international student experience. These are the reasons why VIDC feels it is so important to promulgate wider discussion about just what international education means to Australia, and why we felt it so important to send this message to International Directors in other states in pursuit of a recognized role for this group of experienced practitioners in policy development and implementation. 8

10 References 1 Students 2001: Selected Higher Education Statistics Table 85, Table 22 2 AVCC Fact Sheet, July 2002, quoting Students 2001: Selected Higher Education Statistics, DEST 3 Australian Education International (2001) Overseas Student Statistics 2000 Table 6 and page Australian Bureau of Statistics (2001) Balance of Payments and International Investment Position June Quarter 2001 page 28 5 Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act, 2000, and the National Code of Practice for Registration Authorities and Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students (The National Code) 6 Australian Education International (2001) Overseas Student Statistics 2000 Table 41 7 Australian Education International (1998) 1997 Survey of International Students Studying in Australia Table 74 9