VISTA SPRING 2014
IEAA EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2014 CELEBRATING LEADERSHIP & INNOVATION EMPLOYABILITY FOR A GLOBALISED WORLD THE NEW COLOMBO PLAN vs GENERATION STUDY ABROAD SPRING 2014 | 1
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 Vista is a quarterly magazine produced for IEAA members. It features in-depth analysis, insights and commentary on international education in Australia and around the world. 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. Copyright © 2014 COVER IMAGE Peshkova (iStock)
PRESIDENT’S COLUMN
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Helen Zimmerman EMPLOYABILITY FOR A GLOBALISED WORLD
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Phil Honeywood IEAA EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2014
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Distinguished Contribution Excellence in Leadership Best Practice / Innovation Excellence in Professional Commentary Outstanding Postgraduate Thesis TONY ADAMS FUND 2014
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TRACY MCCABE FUTURE LEADER FELLOWSHIP
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THE NEW COLOMBO PLAN vs GENERATION STUDY ABROAD
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Tom Howard EXPANDING AUSTRALIAN–INDIAN HEALTHCARE PARTNERSHIPS
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Krishnan P S PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
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CONFERENCES
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HIGHLIGHTS
IEAA EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2014 IEAA’s Excellence Awards celebrate leadership and innovation across international education in Australia. We unveil this year’s winners in this special edition of Vista | Page 10
EMPLOYABILITY FOR A GLOBALISED WORLD
THE NEW COLOMBO PLAN vs GENERATION STUDY ABROAD
Phil Honeywood explores how Australian institutions could better meet the needs of international students in the quest for global employability | Page 6
Australia and the US have both embarked on landmark initiatives to increase student mobility. Tom Howard casts his gaze across the Pacific to compare the two | Page 26
PRESIDENT’S COLUMN
In her final column as IEAA President, Helen Zimmerman reflects on the importance of global citizens, global links and the Excellence Award winners who are making our aspirations for the sector a reality.
Global citizens IEAA’s national symposium on ‘Fostering Global Citizenship and Global Competence’ in Melbourne on 22 August 2014 was a great success. “Educating professionally skilled, ethically thinking and culturally competent graduates is a shared goal of Government, universities and employer groups,” articulated Kathleen Lilley, one of our discussion paper authors. “However, what is not so clear is how we achieve this.” The symposium aimed to disseminate current practice, identify some of the knowledge gaps and accelerate momentum to develop innovative policy and programs by government and higher education institutions. Almost 120 participants from around Australia, including representatives from the higher education sector, State and Federal Governments and peak bodies as well as business and industry representatives attended. It was the first IEAA event at which we broadcast live a Twitter feed. Although I wasn’t able to be there in person, it was fantastic to observe the buzz generated in the wider ‘Twittersphere’ – particularly as I was participating in similar dialogues at the annual IEASA Conference in Johannesburg and was able to share some of the Australian insights. The final outcomes report, together with a highlights video and podcasts of the key sessions, will be distributed after AIEC.
Global links Over the past few months the Board has affirmed support for a strong set of values to underpin the important role education 4 | VISTA
plays in the transformation of individuals and communities, as well as determining to actively work with members and peak bodies to ensure ethical global engagement and collaboration. This year, as well as our regular attendance at NAFSA, AIEA, EAIE and APAIE, we have made a conscious effort to join the conferences and discussions in Brazil and South Africa. Sharing different perspectives on the student experience, national policies, student mobility, internationalisation, sustainability and the impact of digital technologies is resulting in opportunities for collaboration and new learnings.
IEAA Excellence Awards This special AIEC edition of Vista showcases the winners of this year’s IEAA Excellence Awards. Once again, the calibre of recipients is testament to the passion and dedication of individuals and teams working across the entire spectrum of our international education sector. These are people who are making our aspirations for the sector a reality. It is particularly heartening to see the efforts of those working in the schools, student support and vocational education and training sectors – areas that are sometimes under-represented – gain their due recognition. It is a timely reminder that, without the sum of its parts working together, the ‘whole’ of our industry certainly wouldn’t be what it is today. In this spirit, we are delighted to recognise Graeme Baguley from Queensland University of Technology for his ‘Distinguished Contribution to International Education’ award.
“Educating professionally skilled, ethically thinking and culturally competent graduates is a shared goal of Government, universities and employer groups. However, what is not so clear is how we achieve this.” Kathleen Lilley Graeme has been involved in international education for almost 30 years and, together with other pioneers, established a best practice model for student support that continues to this day. We are also pleased to acknowledge Rob Lawrence – a leading market researcher and strategist who needs little introduction – for his distinguished contribution to the industry. Dr Anna Ciccarelli has been a long-standing leader and mentor to many people in the industry. She was also IEAA’s inaugural VicePresident and we are delighted to recognise her with the ‘Excellence in Leadership’ Award. The category of ‘Best Practice/ Innovation in International Education’ always receives a considerable number of nominations, making it a tough decision for the selection panel. This year we congratulate Mike Ryan and the team from StudyPerth on their second award in three years. We also recognise the team from Monash-RMIT and their work in developing the ‘CIP Framework in Electronic Testing’ to improve the employability of international engineering graduates, as well as Dr Ly Tran for her work in improving best practice teaching in the international VET sector.
This year’s ‘Excellence in Professional Commentary’ Award goes to Amy Baker from The PIE News, which has grown to become a respected source of news offering a unique global perspective on our industry. Last but not least, Mark Fielding from the University of Western Australia has been awarded the ‘Outstanding Postgraduate Thesis’ Award for his PhD which examines the internationalisation of education in Australian schools. You can read all about this year’s winners from page 10 onwards. As many of you know, Professor Tony Adams was IEAA’s Foundation President and a great mentor to many. The Tony Adams Fund was set up in his memory and provides financial support for international education professionals to further their careers and research. The Fund continues to grow from strength to strength, with four awardees in 2014: Phoenix Ho, Caterina Ho, Douglas Proctor and Dr Thanh Pham. You can read about this year’s recipients from page 19. On behalf of the Australian Universities International Directors’ Forum (AUIDF), we are also pleased to congratulate Dr Kirrilee Hughes as the recipient of this year’s Tracy McCabe Future Leader Fellowship (see page 23).
A fond farewell This is my last column as President and I thank you all for the great privilege of leading the endeavours of IEAA across Australia and globally. It has been a great privilege to work with individuals dedicated to Australian international education, international students, the internationalisation of Australia and collaborative and ethical global engagement. I want to acknowledge my colleagues on the IEAA Board and the support of the Executive team of Vice-President Brett Blacker, Treasurer Monique Skidmore and Executive Director Phil Honeywood. We operate in a complex and changing environment and all of us on the Board have been very grateful for the diligence and energy of the IEAA Secretariat so ably led by Phil Honeywood. Phil has had the support of an amazing team in the IEAA Secretariat – Emily O’Callaghan, Pete Muntz and Cindy Wei Lu. Lastly I wish Brett Blacker, IEAA’s incoming President, my very best in pursuing the Association’s vision for international education. Helen Zimmerman IEAA President
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EMPLOYABILITY FOR A GLOBALISED WORLD
Today’s international students are more eager for work experience than ever before. Phil Honeywood explores how Australian institutions could better meet their needs in the quest for global employability.
Since the Global Financial Crisis of 2007–2008, a new type of mobility has become a key feature around the world. It is the rising global movement of young people actively seeking to enrol in courses of study at world class education institutions outside of their home country. Hand in hand with this movement is the desire by many to seek additional overseas work experience – and often a whole new start to life – that will maximise their employment outcomes. Thus ensues the challenge for Australia’s education providers. How can we best meet these expectations and provide our international students with genuine work integrated learning, meaningful internships and courserelated job openings? 6 | VISTA
Australia’s mixed record Our universities and public TAFE institutes have long been aware of the demand by domestic students for course-related work opportunities. Many have gone out of their way to connect potential employers with their students via on-campus job fairs, employment pathway dinners and providing mentoring opportunities. Unfortunately, as full-fee paying international student enrolments increase, a number of our institutions are finding it challenging to meet both their domestic and international student demands for such placements. We are already hearing of examples where
work placements are a required component for completion of a course, but neither the institution nor the student is able to find such an opening. According to the Council of International Students of Australia (CISA), this has led to situations where international students have been requested by their institution to find a placement back in their home country over the summer break which will then be counted for academic credit purposes. CISA’s concern here is that communication between faculty and marketing departments at some education providers may not be factoring in the realities of
the work placement environment in Australia. At IEAA’s Global Citizenship Symposium in August, KPMG’s Sally Capp made it clear that the large accounting firms in Australia were no longer seeing internships as a key opportunity to recruit future employees – as the number of job openings no longer justified a focus on interns. “The supply of internships is decreasing at a time when the demand is actually increasing. So we’ve got a real structural issue there. I actually think if we got together, also with government, we should really address some of those structural issues” she explained.
“The supply of internships is decreasing at a time when the demand is actually increasing. So we’ve got a real structural issue there.” Sally Capp, KPMG SPRING 2014 | 7
Corporate Australia’s knowledge base It is apparent that the business sector in Australia is not adequately aware of, or engaged in, the policy parameters around employing overseas students. At CISA’s annual conference in Adelaide, examples were provided of students going online to apply for both summer internships and full-time positions. Invariably, somewhere in a company’s job application process there is a question about citizenship status. If the student answers that they do not have permanent residency then, all too often, they are automatically ejected and find that they cannot proceed any further with their application. Ironically, this situation is occurring at the very time when Australia is promoting its new Post-Study Work stream visa category, with the first cohort of graduating students about to pay $1,500 for the privilege of being able to work here for two years.
International education peak bodies, including IEAA, have raised this issue with the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) through our membership of the Education Visa Consultative Committee (EVCC). Happily, the Immigration Department is now planning a series of information seminars around the country to better inform employers about their ability to employ international students. Still, more work needs to be done to fill this information void. IEAA is currently working on strategies to ensure that the corporate sector is more engaged and better educated about the benefits of employing overseas students.
The overseas experience Countries which compete with Australia for international fullfee paying students have, to varying degrees, already put in place policies and procedures that maximise business
engagement with all of their students. According to Australia’s Senior Trade Commissioner in Washington DC, Kelly Ralston, 61 per cent of graduating students in the US have completed at least one course-related internship as part of the ‘Study Plus’ program. Programs such as this are not exclusive to the United States either. Canada has long prided itself on its strong internship culture. Recent research commissioned by the Australian Universities International Directors’ Forum (AUIDF), and conducted by Rob Lawrence from Prospect Research and Marketing, also indicates that the United Kingdom has moved quickly to address this issue. Notwithstanding recent reports on mixed graduate outcomes, Lawrence ascertained that some of the most successful internship schemes in the UK exist within smaller universities and those with a niche specialisation.
“At almost every UK university visited ... careers colleagues frequently visit markets to attend and assist with recruitment initiatives, not least to identify new and high demand discipline areas and build links with major graduate employers”. Rob Lawrence 8 | VISTA
Overall, his report rated UK universities as better coordinated and better resourced to meet their students’ career expectations. The report carried with it a warning that “careers must feature as an integral part of the total international student experience”. Where actual jobs and internships could not be found to meet student demand, Lawrence recommended a focus on what he terms “employability skills”.
Employability skills It would appear that in many UK universities, on-campus career offices cooperate and collaborate with their international offices. This partnership approach also extends to their alumni and development departments. Best practice examples often involve all three areas being physically co-located at the centre of the university campus. In contrast, Australia’s education institutions appear to have evolved with more of a silo culture when it comes to these vital student services. Whereas the UK institutions’ domestic and international students are often proactively engaged by student service departments from the first weeks of their enrolment, this does not seem to be the case in Australia. In our case, such engagement typically occurs very late in the student’s enrolment cycle. According to Lawrence: “At almost every UK university visited, participants reported that the international office staff meet with their careers teams before recruiting in the field. Furthermore … their careers colleagues frequently visit markets to attend and assist with recruitment initiatives, not least to identify new and high demand discipline areas and build links with major graduate employers”.
The report goes on to highlight examples of the type of employability initiatives pursued by some UK institutions. These include: ■■ Queen Mary University operates a graduate placement service in India and hosts an online workplace preparation scheme. ■■ The London School of Economics runs ‘Business Boot Camps’ which are intensive business scenario planning and modelling programs for students. ■■ Durham University sponsors career advisers to travel overseas to develop awareness of employment conditions and prospects in different countries. The same institution also hosts awards for outstanding contribution to college life and participation in sports, music, outreach and charitable work. These awards are highly coveted by international students as a demonstration of their community immersion, integration and participation – attributes that many employers clearly value. Supplementary to the examples listed above, many programs are built around concurrent English language learning, interview technique, self-confidence building, CV writing and even entrepreneurship training. According to OECD figures, over 4.5 million students are currently studying outside of their home country. For many, the most important benefit they hope to gain from their study abroad experience will be enhanced employment attributes and outcomes. Countries and education institutions that are prepared to invest in a more holistic approach to incorporate career development skills within their courses will clearly become more desirable study destinations. As Rob Lawrence’s research highlights, Australia might have some catching up to do. Phil Honeywood is IEAA’s National Executive Director. SPRING 2014 | 9
IEAA EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2014
Australia’s international education sector is renowned for its quality and innovation. This is largely on account of the tireless efforts and talent of many professionals working within our industry. Join us in celebrating the outstanding contributions of this year’s IEAA Excellence Award winners.
Graeme Baguley Manager, International Student Services Queensland University of Technology
Distinguished Contribution to International Education Over the last 27 years, Graeme Baguley has been responsible for the establishment and continual improvement of high quality support services for international students at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Together with other pioneers in international education in Australia, he developed a support program in the mid-1980s that formed the basis for services across the country which endures today. Based on social work theories grounded in a cultural adjustment model, Graeme enunciated a framework for best practice that emphasises a preventative approach to support services. Within this model, Graeme has been instrumental in ensuring a comprehensive suite of services was established including airport reception, accommodation assistance, academic language and learning support, specialised crosscultural counselling, recreational activities, orientation programs and preparation for returning home. Graeme is widely recognised by his peers and senior management at QUT, as well as State and Federal Government bodies, for his leadership in international student support and development.
He has not only made a significant contribution to QUT’s internationalisation goals, but to the wider industry through sharing expertise with industry associations like IEAA and ISANA. However, the primary beneficiaries are, of course, the students. Graeme has fostered collaboration between the local community, institutions, government and private organisations. He has encouraged international student support staff to work closely across these sectors to be able to provide the best service to international students. Through his many years of experience in international education, Graeme has mentored many staff members and colleagues who have benefited from their association with him. This award recognises the outstanding contribution of a professional colleague who has led groundbreaking initiatives that improved international education in Australia. Proudly sponsored by IDP. SPRING 2014 | 11
Rob Lawrence Director, Prospect Research & Marketing
Distinguished Contribution to International Education This award recognises the outstanding contribution of a professional colleague who has led ground-breaking initiatives that improved international education in Australia. Proudly sponsored by IDP.
Rob Lawrence is one of Australia’s foremost international education researchers and market strategists. Over the last 20 years, he has consistently demonstrated his commitment to the success of international education in Australia and abroad. The strength of his intellectual commitment to finding new solutions to current and emerging trends is well known and recognised. While Rob’s research is frequently undertaken on a contractual basis for individual clients, his contribution through conference presentations – especially the Australian International Education Conference (AIEC) – have brought him many followers. Any review of his presentations will demonstrate the depth to which he goes in seeking feedback around his research topic so that he fully understands all aspects of the issue under consideration before proposing solutions.
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He undertakes his on-on-one interviews himself so has made contacts across a diversity of markets and sectors. This huge database of students and employers provides him with ready access to discover new information efficiently and effectively. Rob works with a diverse group of institutions, schools, employers and industry, alumni and community groups. He regularly provides pro bono professional development to IEAA and assists organisational clients well after research is completed and tries to educate their staff to adopt new solutions. He assists individual students whom he has met at interviews with suggestions and solutions to their challenges in his own time. Rob’s determination to give 10–20 days a year to our industry makes the international education sector a better informed and educated group of practitioners, making him a worthy recipient of this award.
Dr Anna Ciccarelli has been a long-standing leader within international education in Australia. During her career, her professional and research interests have included internationalisation in the higher education sector; organisation theory, culture and change management; and English language teaching leadership and management. In her roles at The University of Queensland and University of South Australia, Anna has contributed to the development of the international education industry, presented at international conferences on internationalisation strategies, championed industry networks on discussions about quality and unified strategy, and has led collaboration and discussion with hundreds of educational, government and alumni partners.
Dr Anna Ciccarelli Former Deputy Vice Chancellor (International) and Vice President, The University of Queensland
Excellence in Leadership in International Education This award recognises a professional colleague who has at least 10 years experience, an appreciable portion of which has been in leadership positions, in organisations or institutions with a significant role in international education. Proudly sponsored by ETS TOEFL.
Anna has been invited to participate in numerous industry, Federal and State Government committees relating to the development of the Australian international education industry. Anna also led the development of frameworks to assess an institution’s internationalisation as a result of university partnerships and country engagement, which has yielded great interest from international peers. She has served on numerous boards and steering committees across the globe. She served as IEAA’s inaugural Vice-President and was re-elected to the Board in October 2011. Anna’s long-term commitment to and deep understanding of comprehensive internationalisation, her negotiation and leadership skills in complex international, national and institutional environments, and her passionate interest in and commitment to mentoring others will endure for many years to come.
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Picture Yourself in Perth: Chengdu Photo Competition ■■ Mike Ryan, StudyPerth ■■ Leo Yu, StudyPerth ■■ Jessie Ying, StudyPerth The Best Practice / Innovation Awards recognise the work of individuals or teams that have contributed to international education through a groundbreaking development in international education. Proudly sponsored by Hobsons.
Best Practice / Innovation in International Education The inaugural ‘Picture Yourself in Perth (PYP)’ Chengdu Photo Competition was launched in 2011 to support the newly-established sister city relationship between Perth and Chengdu. The competition aims to: ■■ Create awareness about Perth and boost the city’s reputation for higher education and vocational training with the Chengdu media, officials and young students aged 14–16 in targeted schools. ■■ Create and train each winner of the competition as a StudyPerth Student Ambassador, with the goal of 100 StudyPerth ambassadors in Chengdu by 2020. ■■ Leverage the PYP program for an authentic Chinese social media and web campaign.
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The competition targets schools in Chengdu using social media platform Weibo as the primary promotion channel. Participants Photoshop themselves onto a photo of Perth and answer 10 Perth-related questions. Winners receive a week-long study tour to Perth and become a StudyPerth Student Ambassador. Each winner posts comments and pictures of their visit to Perth on the StudyPerth Weibo site, thereby introducing their social networks to Perth. The PYP is not only a successful branding exercise for Perth, but an outstanding example of a project promoting goodwill and mutual understanding between City and State governments and their people. As such, it has greatly strengthened the sister city relationship between the two cities.
Best Practice / Innovation in International Education One of the challenges of engineering education in an international setting is ensuring its currency and relevance to needs of diverse industrial, research and application environments. This RMIT–Monash academic team has developed and implemented an innovative framework enabling full compliance with high educational standards and accreditation requirements, as well as addressing expectations of the regional industrial scene. Asia is home to some of the largest multinational hi-tech players. By taking advantage of operations of Monash and RMIT in the region (Malaysia, Vietnam), and by collaborating with the major electronics companies, the team developed an academic framework which has been thoroughly reviewed by and aligned with the industry to ensure its currency and relevance.
It includes three major components: ■■ specially designed coursework introducing the electronic testing technology ■■ industry internship experience improving job-readiness; and ■■ an advanced research and development project enhancing individual capabilities in the real-world international industry settings. The CIP Framework’s coursework component was implemented at RMIT and Monash with great success. The research component has achieved a multitude of peer-reviewed publications, while the internship has been highly lauded by industry partners. In 2012, the framework was acknowledged with a course development award from IEEE, the world’s largest professional organisation for electrical and electronics engineers.
The Best Practice / Innovation Awards recognise the work of individuals or teams that have contributed to international education through a groundbreaking development in international education. Proudly sponsored by Hobsons.
Monash-RMIT CIP Framework in Electronic Testing Improving International Work Readiness and Employability of Engineering Graduates ■■ Dr Melanie Ooi, Monash University Malaysia ■■ Dr Serge Demidenko, RMIT University Vietnam ■■ Ms Moi-Tin Chew, RMIT University ■■ Dr Ye Chow Kuang, Monash University Photo from left-right: Ms Moi-Tin Chew, Dr Ye Chow Kuang, Dr Melanie Ooi, Dr Serge Demidenko.
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Best Practice / Innovation in International Education Australian Education International (2014) statistics show that there were 135,151 international student enrolments in Australian vocational education and training (VET) at the end of 2013. However, until now, most of the resources on teaching international students have largely concentrated on the higher education sector. Teaching International Students in Vocational Education: New Pedagogical Approaches (ACER, 2013) is a unique resource that provides 114 examples of good practice as well as conceptual knowledge underpinning effective approaches to teaching international students in VET. It was written by Dr Ly Tran (a former international student herself) and selected to be published by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER).
The Best Practice / Innovation Awards recognise the work of individuals or teams that have contributed to international education through a groundbreaking development in international education. Proudly sponsored by Hobsons.
Drawing on fieldwork and interviews with staff and international students from 25 VET institutes and dual-sector universities across Australia, the book focuses on supporting teachers’ professional development by linking theories to practice and discussing effective teaching tools that can be integrated into teaching practice. Ly has gained national and international recognition for her significant contribution to research and practice in international education. This work, together with Ly’s other research and publications, help bring Australia’s VET sector to the forefront of research on international education. This project was funded by the Australian Research Council through a Discovery Grant.
Dr Ly Tran
Senior Lecturer, Deakin University
Teaching International Students in Vocational Education: New Pedagogical Approaches 16 | VISTA
This award recognises excellence in journalism, social media commentary and/or publications which focus on international education.
Amy Baker Managing Director and Co-Founder, The PIE News
Proudly sponsored by Partnered Allianz Global Education.
Excellence in Professional Commentary Amy Baker has worked in international education for more than 15 years: first as a journalist, then editor of Language Travel Magazine, and now as director of the fastgrowing webzine The PIE News. Amy conceived of The PIE News herself and, in just three years, has built it from nothing to a vital source of industry knowledge. Since its launch in 2011, The PIE News has grown rapidly as a brand and is valued because it offers something unique – a global perspective on the international education industry.
The PIE News publishes daily breaking news, weekly Q&A’s that allow the industry to have its say and analysis pieces that take the long view on timely topics such as MOOCs, visa policy or how local politics affect student mobility. Its weekly newsletter now has over 9,000 subscribers around the world. Amy has also launched a biannual print edition, The PIE Review. This provides a snapshot of the previous six months, along with fresh output, to give readers a deeper analysis of the sector’s evolution.
It draws on a range of data sources and presents vital information in a fresh, creative and easily digested manner. The PIE Review has been well received and disseminated at conferences such as EAIE, AIEC, ICEF Berlin and NAFSA. This award recognises Amy’s insight in identifying a gap in the industry and for having the initiative and drive to get it off the ground.
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Dr Mark Fielding PhD topic: No sense of borders? The internationalisation of education in Australian schooling
Outstanding Postgraduate Thesis This award aims to assist with establishing the research career of a recent masters or doctoral graduate and is open to individuals whose masters degree or doctorate has been conferred by an Australian university in the three preceding years up to 1 July each year. Proudly sponsored by i-graduate.
The internationalisation of education and accelerating globalisation is having a profound impact on schools and learning around the world. The aim of Mark Fielding’s thesis was to analyse the perspectives of school leaders, teachers and students in independent secondary schools across Australia and to assess their school’s engagement with the internationalisation of education. Mark’s thesis is one of the first comprehensive academic studies (beyond discussions of the International Baccalaureate) to look into this area. While many studies have been conducted at university level, little rigorous research has been carried out in the schools sector. As such, this work makes a major contribution
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to our understanding of how internationalisation is played out in Australian secondary schools. The findings indicate that secondary schools are engaging with the processes of internationalisation in different ways, depending on a number of significant factors. These include how participants conceptualised the internationalisation of education, the goals and strategic plans of the school, the nature of student demographics, family expectations and school resources. These findings will help to provide policy-makers, educational leaders and teachers with the understanding to navigate the complex process of internationalisation in the rapidly changing reality of the 21st century.
TONY ADAMS FUND
Phoenix Ho Career Counsellor, RMIT University Vietnam
Professional Development in International Education Phoenix Ho will use her Tony Adams grant to attend the National Career Development Association (NCDA) global conference in Colorado, US, in July 2015. This will give Phoenix an opportunity to learn about the latest career development theories from around the world and, in turn, improve her own practice as a career adviser at RMIT University Vietnam. Phoenix also works closely with local educational institutions and education departments in Central and Northern Vietnam to develop their career guidance curriculum in secondary schools, enhance the skills of local teachers and improve teaching materials and methodologies. In this capacity, Phoenix has published six textbooks and trained more than 250 career guidance teachers.
Although Phoenix has attended and presented at a number of conferences in the Asia-Pacific region, attending a global conference like NCDA will enable her to bridge her existing knowledge gap, draw upon international expertise and apply it to her own practice. Phoenix’s own career development journey took 12 years before she discovered her current career. As a result, she is passionate about enabling students to discover their vocational calling and follow their dreams. Phoenix Ho has been awarded a Tony Adams Fund professional development grant of $2,000.
The Tony Adams Fund was set up in honour of the late Professor Tony Adams, a revered leader and mentor to many people working in the international education industry. He was also IEAA’s Foundation President. The fund provides annual financial grants to individuals from Australia and internationally to undertake professional development and research in international education.
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TONY ADAMS FUND
Caterina Ho PhD Candidate, The University of Melbourne
Doctoral Studies in International Education The demand for Australian students to become Asia literate has been reiterated by successive Government policies over the last two decades. Given this national interest, Caterina’s PhD aims to explore Asia literacy in the internationalisation of the curriculum and how it could be better understood and articulated in inclusive higher education. Caterina will explore the intercultural dimension of Asia literacy as a way to internationalise university programs. The study seeks to advance this knowledge claim by offering a better understanding of the manifestation of Asia literacy in higher education curricula: what it means (ontology), and how it could possibly be realised (epistemology). 20 | VISTA
Given the pivotal role of languages and cultures in internationalisation, the study offers implications for framing Asia literacy into Australian higher education curricula, which may extend to the integration of multiple languages and cultures into inclusive internationalised curricula. After receiving her Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics from the University of Hong Kong, Caterina worked for five years as a registered teacher in Hong Kong and Australia. Caterina’s main research interests include international education and higher education, with a specialisation in diversity of perspectives and cultures in internationalised university curricula. Caterina has been awarded $1,500 for each year of her doctoral study (up to 3 years).
Doctoral Studies in International Education
His study will focus on early career academics, as most earlier studies have centred on participants with recognised experience in international engagement. Whereas earlier research undertaken in North America has focussed on single institutions, this project will explore differences in faculty engagement that exist between institutions, in an Australian context.
The research outcomes should contribute to more effective management of internationalisation within Australian universities. Firstly, by identifying drivers and barriers to faculty international engagement. Secondly, by making recommendations on tailored strategies to address identified barriers. Douglas enrolled in a full-time PhD at the Centre for the Study of Higher Education, The University of Melbourne, in October 2013. Prior to commencing his research studies, he held academic and professional positions over a period of 14 years in universities in France, New Caledonia and Australia. Douglas has been awarded $1,500 for each year of his doctoral study (up to 3 years).
TONY ADAMS FUND
Douglas’ doctoral research will investigate academic staff engagement in the internationalisation of higher education – an aspect of international education which is known to be under-researched. It will address key questions relating to the drivers and rationales for engagement, as well as the barriers to engagement.
Douglas Proctor PhD Candidate, The University of Melbourne SPRING 2014 | 21
TONY ADAMS FUND
Dr Thanh Pham Lecturer, Monash University
Research Project in International Education Many Australian universities are looking to internationalise their curriculum by integrating intercultural dimensions into their teaching and research. Although many institutions are integrating Asian cultural values into their curriculum, little has been done to examine how best to compile Asian learning values in teaching and learning at Western educational institutions. Dr Thanh Pham’s research project will contribute to advancing intercultural pedagogies across Australian universities. It will investigate how Asian and Western cultural values can be better incorporated to develop global pedagogies and enhance student learning outcomes.
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It will assist institutions and teaching staff to implement strategies to transcend national boundaries and encourage active participation from all students, regardless of cultural background. This research will also fill the existing gap in the literature on cross-cultural education and assist teachers to diversify their own teaching practice. Dr Pham has been studying, teaching and conducting research on cross-cultural education across Western and Asian countries for many years. This Tony Adams grant will enable Dr Pham to continue her previous research, diversify her current syllabus and teaching practice and enhance her research profile. Dr Thanh Pham has been awarded a research project grant for $3,000.
TRACY McCABE
Dr Kirrilee Hughes Deputy Director, Indonesian Affairs University of New South Wales (UNSW) Image courtesy of Jeffery Chan, The Canberra Times
Tracy McCabe Future Leader Fellowship Kirrilee’s involvement with international education began as a high school student when she undertook a one-year AFS exchange in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. She then went on to study Bahasa Indonesia and Asian studies at the Australian National University (ANU), during which time she spent another year on exchange in Indonesia and graduated with a university medal. She began working in international education at The University of Newcastle in 2004 and was recruited by Tracy McCabe. Over the next five years, Kirrilee held a number of roles within the international division and coordinated international marketing and student recruitment in a diverse range of markets across Southeast Asia, South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and South America.
In 2009, Kirrilee accepted a PhD scholarship at ANU’s College of Asia and the Pacific. Her doctoral research focused on Australia’s Asia literacy and generating new ways of thinking about Asian languages and education that encompass the broader Australian community. During her PhD candidature she managed the Australia Indonesia Business Council and also taught undergraduate Indonesian politics and Asian studies at ANU. Kirrilee now works as Deputy Director, Indonesian Affairs at UNSW where she leads the university’s engagement across student mobility, recruitment and partner development. She is also a non-executive Director for AFS Intercultural Programs Australia, the organisation that first sparked her interest in Indonesia.
This award honours the memory of Tracy McCabe, former International Director at the University of Newcastle and immediate past chair of the Australian Universities International Directors’ Forum (AUIDF). Tracy’s work contributed significantly to professionalising the Australian education industry, especially in the area of marketing to international students. She is remembered for her energy, commitment and interest in fostering emerging talent. SPRING 2014 | 23
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 24 | VISTA
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THE NEW COLOMBO PLAN VS GENERATION STUDY ABROAD Australia and the United States have both embarked on landmark initiatives to increase mobility among students. Tom Howard casts his gaze across the Pacific to compare the two. Higher education ties between Australia and the United States have been ongoing for many years. Even back in 1993 – when I served as the inaugural Director of the (then) Australian Education Office in Washington, DC – it was clear that each country had much to learn from the other. Fast forward 20 years, and each country has embarked on somewhat similar initiatives to strengthen their international mobility in education. Namely, the Australian Government’s New Colombo Plan (NCP) and Generation Study Abroad (GSA), an initiative of the Institute of International Education (IIE) in the US. While both initiatives are aimed at increasing mobility among students in each country, both have their proponents and critics. For a closer insight into the similarities and differences between the two initiatives, I reached out to two professionals in the field. Martha Johnson has worked with Australian universities since 1998, and now directs one of the leading university international offices in the US. Stephen Connelly has served as DVC International at a number of Australian universities and is now director of GlobalEd Services, which assists educational institutions to achieve their international objectives. They were both given three questions about the two initiatives and asked to provide their thoughts. 26 | VISTA
THE VIEW FROM THE U.S. 2. How do you think each is working/will work?
Martha Johnson Assistant Dean of Learning Abroad, The University of Minnesota 1. How do Generation Study Abroad and the New Colombo Plan compare? The most obvious difference is clearly the size and scope of the systems involved. The number of Australian universities is often noted as advantageous when executing a federally mandated initiative or priority. But in my opinion, the similarity in funding, structure and degree requirements of Australia’s universities provides a distinct advantage as well.
As many institutions considered participation in Generation Study Abroad (GSA), there was a shared sense of “numbers fatigue”. In my own peer group, the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), many of the top sending institutions in the US are represented and several have determined they will not participate. My campus began working towards a 50 per cent goal [for sending students on study abroad] 12 years ago. But our conversation has shifted from quantity to quality. We have seen the dangers of growth for growth’s sake, and have consciously avoided some models and strategies for growing participation for philosophical reasons. We chose to restate our 50 per cent goal, but instead to use our commitment to the GSA initiative to advocate for the development of new scholarship funds.
3. What are your thoughts about the mobility relationship between the two countries? As outbound mobility increases in Australia, realities that are now accepted in the US and outdated biases will need to be confronted. Traditional exchange models are inefficient for capacity building. You can’t force or even coerce the majority of students to go to destinations they don’t want to go. Great learning and engagement can take place in short-term and non-integrated models. Studies abroad need to be related to study back at the home institution. The good news is that the Australian system can learn much from the many years of experiment, mistakes and maturity of the American project to get undergraduate students abroad.
Aside from the sheer number of institutions in the US, the complexity of costs, funding models, and institutional types – private, public, land-grant, research, religiously affiliated, minority serving institutions, community colleges etc – makes the implementation of national goals extraordinarily and potentially prohibitively challenging.
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THE VIEW FROM THE AUSTRALIA 2. How do you think each is working/will work?
Stephen Connelly Director, GlobalEd Services 1. How do Generation Study Abroad and the New Colombo Plan compare? Simply, size. And with the sheer number of higher education institutions in the US comes diversity of institution and student body to a far greater extent than we have in Australia. Like in the US, however, the difference between the largest mobility institutions and the smallest is massive.
It’s difficult to say in a sense because institutional profiles vary greatly, as does the significance of outbound mobility for each institution’s mission. In broad terms, as Australian mobility participation (proportionally) draws nearer to participation rates in the US – at least in undergraduate terms – one would have to observe that the system is doing well. But across the board there are opportunities to improve in areas of risk management, evaluation of program quality and impact and diversity of program type in certain destinations.
3. What are your thoughts about the mobility relationship between the two countries? One remarkable aspect of the last Australian Federal election was that the two major parties each had a plan to support outbound mobility of Australian university students, both focussed on Asia. ‘AsiaBound’ was the previous government’s program, and the current Federal Government has piloted its New Colombo Plan (NCP) this year, committing $100 million of funding over five years.
Australia’s universities didn’t need either side of politics to suggest they should focus on Asia. In 2011, 32.7 per cent of the more than 20,000 mobility experiences by Australian students benchmarked in that year were in Asia – the second most popular region after Europe – with China the second most popular country after the US. Most of the Asian mobility is in short term programs. NCP was initially conceived as a program supporting exchange or internships, but to its credit – and to the credit of industry lobbying using benchmarking data – has recognised short-term mobility and a range of other mobility types (e.g. research) as qualifying for funding support. Early days and reports are positive as initial NCP groups start to return to their home campuses. NCP participants won’t make a huge impact on overall outbound mobility numbers, but the imprimatur of government, the emphasis on giving back to the region that supplies most of our full fee-paying international students, and the objective to prioritise internships and the necessary partnership with business at home and abroad are all characteristics of a well thought out program. A final word on numbers. In 2013, IIE’s ‘Open Doors’ reported that in 2011/12, 14.2 per cent of undergraduates completing bachelor degrees in the US had studied abroad prior to graduation. This figure is almost identical to that for Australian outbound undergraduate mobility. Short-term programs comprise over a third of outbound mobility from Australia, a trend that has been increasing for some time. This provides a clue to partners of Australian universities seeking to attract our students to their campuses. The US remains the most popular destination, but Asian destinations are on the rise.
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IN CONCLUSION How successful each initiative will ultimately be remains to be seen, and this article barely scratches the surface of how that may happen. In fact, much of what both Martha and Stephen suggest opens the door to further conversations. How will the size and scope of each system affect their individual outcomes? Does it boil down to a quest for numbers over quality and experience? And are we are dealing with outdated mobility models which will need to be examined and potentially changed? What is clear is that both initiatives are complex. Given the speed at which education in general is growing and changing, they will require the cooperation of all stakeholders to reach the success they aspire to. It also seems clear that this is a topic which bears further discussion, possibly in future editions of Vista. Tom Howard has been involved in international education for nearly 30 years. He is the Director of HES International (Australia & Europe), an international educational organisation which represents universities from across the world in North America.
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EXPANDING AUSTRALIAN–INDIAN LIFE SCIENCES AND HEALTHCARE PARTNERSHIPS The Australian Innovation Showcase is highlighting our world class research capability and innovative technologies across India, writes Austrade’s Krishnan P.S.
An ‘Australian Life Sciences and Health Care Mission’ delegation recently visited India from 15–19 September as part of the Australian Innovation Showcase. The 12-member delegation was an initiative of the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) and the Australian Government to promote Australia’s world class research capability and innovative technologies, and to help develop new trade and investment opportunities. Delegates represented leading Australian research institutions, life sciences companies, universities and healthcare advisers. They met with Indian industry representatives in Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, New Delhi and Ahmedabad to explore commercial, research and licensing partnerships with the growing Indian life sciences and healthcare industry. “Australia’s research institutions, universities and technology companies are among the best
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in the world and offer significant potential for partnerships in the life sciences sector,” said Austrade’s Nicola Watkinson, Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner for South Asia. “Australia’s advanced innovation framework, coupled with government and business investment in research and development, and a track record of world-class discoveries and outcomes, present cuttingedge collaboration, research and commercialisation opportunities for India” “This was the largest concentration of Australian scientific and research knowhow to be showcased in India in the life sciences sector. The interest from India’s life sciences, pharmaceuticals and biotech companies has been overwhelming, signifying the potential for further strengthening Australia – India partnerships,” said Nicola Watkinson.
India’s healthcare sector is being propelled by a rising population, increasing disposable income, increasing lifestyle related health issues, cheaper treatment costs, a focus on medical tourism, improving health insurance penetration, government initiatives and a focus on public private partnership models. The delegates represented diverse expertise across: ■■ neuroimaging and genomics; ■■ tropical disease research; ■■ translational research focused on cancer and neuroscience; ■■ novel inhalable reformulations of generic drugs; ■■ biomarker discovery; ■■ drug discovery of peptide medicines; ■■ novel medical devices; ■■ education and training and healthcare infrastructure. They explored significant opportunities for partnership available with Indian organisations and institutions in oncology; neurosciences; tropical medicines; medical devices; clinical trials and development research; healthcare education and training; offering Australian expertise in hospital and specialised healthcare infrastructure and facilities, including assisted living.
Emerging trends in India’s life sciences and healthcare sector The Indian life sciences and healthcare sector is on a rapid growth curve and is poised to touch US$100 billion by 2015 and US$275.6 billion by 2020. The sector’s growth is being propelled by a rising population, increasing disposable income, increasing lifestyle related health issues, cheaper treatment costs, a focus on medical tourism, improving health insurance penetration, government initiatives and a focus on public private partnership (PPP) models. In 2013 the healthcare and life sciences sector was India’s second largest recipient of venture capital funding after the IT sector, reflecting the commercial potential in healthcare and life sciences in India.
Inadequate healthcare infrastructure, a shortage of a skilled workforce, increasing patient expectations and everchanging technology act as critical barriers in delivering healthcare services in a sustainable manner offering opportunities for the Australian organisations to offer life sciences and healthcare related technologies, equipment and services in India. India's healthcare system is developing rapidly and continues to expand its coverage, services and expenditure in both the public as well as private sectors. There is an urgent need to focus on using new technologies to align with the evolving needs of stakeholders including patients, healthcare providers, regulators, governments, investors and society at large. This is creating a large market for hospital information systems and other healthcarerelated IT solutions.
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To standardise the quality of service delivery, control costs and enhance patient engagement, healthcare providers are focussing on the technological aspects of healthcare delivery. Digital health knowledge resources, electronic medical records, mobile healthcare, telemedicine and hospital information systems are all in strong demand. India is a significant producer of active pharmaceutical ingredients and formulations and several Indian pharmaceutical companies are significant global players in generics and vaccines. Multinational pharmaceutical companies have also established large Indian manufacturing, research and development centres, or have invested in local industry players. Indian companies are increasing their R&D budgets; seeking international collaboration; acquiring, licensing or partnering with international companies to access new formulations and expertise. This offers significant opportunities for Australian universities and research organisations to explore research collaborations and licensing partnerships.
Research opportunities in life sciences & healthcare There are significant opportunities for Australian research institutions, universities, life sciences and technology companies. Indian companies are increasingly
Indian companies are increasing their R&D budgets; seeking international collaboration; acquiring, licensing or partnering with international companies to access new formulations and expertise. 32 | VISTA
partnering with Australian research institutions and life sciences companies for their research and development (R&D) programs, licensing Australian life sciences products and technologies and exploring contract research opportunities with Australian research institutions. Examples of some recent Australia– India Life Sciences partnerships include: ■■ Pune based Serum Institute of India partnered with Sydney-based Neuclone to manufacture high quality, lowcost drugs using biosimilars. ■■ Lupin India also has a strategic licensing agreement with Neuclone Australia for their cell line technology. ■■ L V Prasad Eye Institute and Australia’s Brien Holden Vision Institute have jointly established The India Vision Institute (IVI) to build optometric services for the 456 million people in India needing vision correction.
Australia–India Strategic Research Fund The Australian Life Sciences & Health Care mission is significant to the backdrop of the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF). The Australian Government will provide $20 million over the next four years to support scientific collaboration between Australian and Indian scientists.
AISRF has supported more than 220 joint scientific projects in areas of key importance to both countries including agricultural research, biomedical devices and implants, nanotechnology and vaccines. AISRF projects have attracted significant contributions from respected research partners in both countries representing 90 top universities and research institutions. The Fund’s work has resulted in substantial commercialisation opportunities and a large number of publications, patents and prototypes. This includes: ■■ a low cost and environmentally safe product to address oil contaminated water; ■■ technologies to build up disease and pest resilience in crops such as chickpeas and cotton; and ■■ technologies to assist in the production and long-term use of a clean burning synthetic fuel with potential use in the Australian and Indian transport sectors. Over the last 10 years more than $60 million has been invested in the AISRF. More information on the Australian Life Sciences & Health Care Mission is available at bit.ly/ZdZbI9. For more information on partnerships with India institutions and organisations, email ind@ austrade.gov.au Krishnan P. S. is Austrade’s Head of Marketing for South Asia.
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EMPLOYABILITY IN AN INTERNATIONALISED CURRICULUM
MARKETING STRATEGY: KNOWLEDGE PARTNERSHIP WEBINAR SERIES
AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO DIGITAL MARKETING & RECRUITMENT (Full day)
International education consultant and Emerita Professor Elspeth Jones examines global citizenship, employability and its role within an internationalised curriculum.
This three-part series covers market analysis, developing recruitment strategy and measuring marketing results. Register for individual webinars, or the whole series.
This hands-on workshop will ensure you’re up to speed with the latest trends in digital marketing and social media best suited to key recruitment markets.
Date: 14 October Location: Melbourne Cost: $200 IEAA members $295 non-members
Date: 5, 12, 19 November Location: Webinar (online) Cost: $70 IEAA members $100 non-members
Date: 7 November Location: Adelaide Cost: $275 IEAA members $395 non-members
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More info at ieaa.org.au
QS–APPLE Conference 11–13 November 2014 Taipei qsapple.org/10thqsapple Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) 19–22 November 2014 Ottawa, Canada cbie-bcei.ca CIEE Annual Conference 19–22 November 2014 Baltimore, US ciee.org
CONFERENCES
November 2014
British Council Global Education Dialogues: The Power of Consortia 20–21 November 2014 Indonesia britishcouncil.org/education/ihe
December 2014 ISANA: International Education Association 2–5 December 2014 Adelaide, Australia isana.org.au
January 2015 British Council Global Education Dialogues: The Role of Technology in the Race for Global Talent 29–30 January 2015 South Korea britishcouncil.org/education/ihe
February 2015 UNLOCKING THE COMMUNITY CHEST: ACCESSING FUNDING FOR YOUR MOBILITY INITIATIVES This workshop questions the existing paradigm for mobility funding and explores access to funding outside the traditional avenues, like funding bodies and corporate partners. Date: 24 November Location: Melbourne Cost: $200 IEAA members $295 non-members
Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA) 15–18 February 2015 Washington, US aieaworld.org
March 2015 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
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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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