The Australian Strategy for International Education 2021‑2030 charts a path to sustainable growth for Australia’s international education sector, with a focus on diversification, meeting national skills needs, students at the centre and global competitiveness.
Australian Strategy for International Education 2021–2030
International education is a vital part of Australian society. It brings many economic, cultural and social benefits to our people and businesses. It creates links and life‑long connections with communities and partners across the world.
The Strategy identifies four priority areas for the next decade in the Australian international education sector:
- Diversification
- Alignment with Australia’s workforce and skills needs
- Students at the centre
- Growth and global competitiveness.
Measures that support the implementation of the Strategy
- $8 million in seed funding for Australian industry to develop up to 70 globally relevant micro-credentials for international and onshore implementation.
- $27.8 million in fee relief from regulatory charging to assist the international education sector to build capacity now so that as students return, Australian providers can bounce back quickly.
- $9.4 million for the Innovation Development Fund to provide short-term targeted support to private English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) providers to diversify their education offerings into online and offshore delivery.
- A review of the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act and the National Code to ensure that Australia’s legislation continues to support innovation within the sector, high quality education provision online and offshore and an optimal experience for all students.
- An International student diversity at Australian universities discussion paper on the benefits and challenges of diversifying international student cohorts, and the role government policy measures can play in supporting diversification at public universities.
Council for International Education
The Council for International Education will oversee the Strategy and support its implementation, including reporting annually on its progress to the Prime Minister.
How the Strategy was developed
More than 1,600 stakeholders contributed to the development of the Strategy, including:
- Responses to the Consultation Paper on the Strategy
- Public webinars held in April 2021.
Expert Members of the Council led the consultation process in collaboration with the Department of Education.