Australians see Economic Values of International Education

Australians see Economic Values of International Education

A recent survey showed that Australians see economic values of International Education.

Check out for more International News:

A new survey has found the vast majority of Australians believe the international education industry makes a considerable contribution to the country’s economy, but stakeholders warn further communication of the sector’s benefits is needed.

The research, commissioned by  Universities Australia and conducted by opinions tracker JWS Research, surveyed 1,500 respondents and found 81% perceived international education as ‘important’ to the national economy.

“The Australian public absolutely get it: they know international students make a hugely valuable contribution to our local communities, society, global outlook and economy,” said UA chief executive Catriona Jackson.

When provided with statistics on export revenue and the number of jobs supported by the sector, which reached a record $34.9 billion and 240,000 full-time equivalent jobs in 2018, figures improved further, to 85%.

University of New South Wales’ earlier research found 54% of respondents agreed the government should limit international student numbers, and UA’s survey appears to indicate oscillating public opinion on the industry as a whole.

“Public opinion has been changed because of politicians making remarks on international students time and again without doing adequate research about international students’ contribution to the community,” he told The PIE News.

A tumultuous period for Australian international education, in the lead up to this year’s federal election and the possibility of an overhaul of its national strategy and governing council, Phil Honeywood, chief executive of IEAA, argued for further engagement with the broader community.

“There should be a limit to the number of international students, in my opinion, one can take and still keep that message up, at least as the national university. Trying to find the balance is where we’re at,” he told The PIE.

The latest Department of Education and Training data revealed that Australia experienced another record year, attracting 693,800 international students in 2018.

Read more

Posted: March 19, 2019, | Category: International News
Source: ThePIE