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Contents > 1. Overview of Sector > 1.4 Internationalisation
1.4 Internationalisation
Participation by international students
Australia is an internationally recognised provider of world-class education and training. The international education sector is Australia’s third largest service export industry, generating export earnings of some $3.7 billion each year. Australia’s success in international education is built on strong partnerships between government and the Australian international education and training industry, regulatory and professional bodies and individual institutions.
Australia’s involvement in international education not only results in significant economic returns but also contributes to the internationalisation of the Australian education system, cross-cultural skilling of young Australians and the development of goodwill and mutual understanding, which will underpin Australia’s future trade, diplomatic and political efforts. The Government, through Australian Education International, is actively involved in promoting and marketing Australian education and training services overseas.
The number of international students enrolled with Australian education providers during 2000 was 188 300. Approximately 107 600 international students (57 per cent) studied in the higher education sector. Of these students, 98 per cent were enrolled with a Commonwealth-funded higher education provider while the remaining 2 per cent undertook a higher education course with a private provider. Smaller numbers of students undertook courses in the vocational education sector (30 800 or 16 per cent), school education sector (13 100 or 7 per cent) and the English Language Intensive Course of Study (ELICOS) sector (36 800 or 20 per cent). Figure 1.12 shows the breakdown of international students studying in Australian universities, including those in campuses located in country of origin (offshore) in 2000.
While Australia attracts international students from a diverse range of countries, students from the Asian region make up the majority of international students (155 600 or 83 per cent). Tables 1.10a, 1.10b, and 1.10c show the number of Australia’s international higher education students from the top 10 source countries.
Figure 1.12: Overseas student enrolments by sector, 2000
Source: Overseas Student Statistics
Table 1.10a: Onshore – overseas students by top 10 source countries and higher education sector, 1997 to 2000
|
Country |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
|
Singapore |
7 577 |
7 783 |
8 109 |
8 647 |
|
Malaysia |
10 767 |
10 857 |
9 545 |
9 866 |
|
Hong Kong |
5 674 |
5 499 |
5 922 |
6 502 |
|
Indonesia |
6 257 |
7 007 |
7 799 |
9 283 |
|
China |
1 802 |
2 180 |
2 870 |
3 712 |
|
India |
2 408 |
2 839 |
3 143 |
4 374 |
|
Thailand |
2 255 |
2 333 |
2 398 |
2 716 |
|
Taiwan |
1 731 |
1 999 |
2 232 |
2 440 |
|
Korea, South |
1 717 |
1 773 |
1 883 |
2 174 |
|
Japan |
1 406 |
1 554 |
1 605 |
1 762 |
|
Sub-total |
41 594 |
43 824 |
45 506 |
51 476 |
|
Other Countries |
11 303 |
12 986 |
15 408 |
21 241 |
|
Total |
52 897 |
56 810 |
60 914 |
72 717 |
Source: Overseas Student Statistics.
Table 1.10b: Offshore – overseas students by top 10 source countries and higher education sector, 1997 to 2000
|
Country |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
|
Singapore |
5 463 |
7 447 |
9 888 |
11 017 |
|
Malaysia |
2 858 |
3 531 |
5 213 |
7 974 |
|
Hong Kong |
5 163 |
7 570 |
8 911 |
9 893 |
|
Indonesia |
210 |
540 |
970 |
437 |
|
China |
139 |
231 |
614 |
1 009 |
|
India |
101 |
129 |
211 |
93 |
|
Thailand |
170 |
260 |
380 |
323 |
|
Taiwan |
37 |
71 |
130 |
219 |
|
Korea, South |
40 |
76 |
93 |
59 |
|
Japan |
131 |
377 |
171 |
151 |
|
Sub-total |
14 312 |
20 232 |
26 581 |
31 175 |
|
Other Countries |
1 997 |
2 306 |
2 900 |
3 730 |
|
Total |
16 309 |
22 538 |
29 481 |
34 905 |
Source: Overseas Student Statistics.
Table 1.10c: Total of overseas students by top 10 source countries and higher education sector, 1997 to 2000
|
Country |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
|
Singapore |
13 040 |
15 230 |
17 997 |
19 664 |
|
Malaysia |
13 625 |
14 388 |
14 758 |
17 840 |
|
Hong Kong |
10 837 |
13 069 |
14 833 |
16 395 |
|
Indonesia |
6 467 |
7 547 |
8 769 |
9 720 |
|
China |
1 941 |
2 411 |
3 484 |
4 721 |
|
India |
2 509 |
2 968 |
3 354 |
4 467 |
|
Thailand |
2 425 |
2 593 |
2 778 |
3 039 |
|
Taiwan |
1 768 |
2 070 |
2 362 |
2 659 |
|
Korea, South |
1 757 |
1 849 |
1 976 |
2 233 |
|
Japan |
1 537 |
1 931 |
1 776 |
1 913 |
|
Sub-total |
55 906 |
64 056 |
72 087 |
82 651 |
|
Other Countries |
13 300 |
15 292 |
18 308 |
24 971 |
|
Total |
69 206 |
79 348 |
90 395 |
107 622 |
Note: The scope of the Overseas Student Statistics is broader than the Higher Education Statistics Collection which counted only 95 607 overseas students in 2000. Overseas Student Statistics includes students not in publicly funded universities.
Source: Overseas Student Statistics.
Singapore remains the leading provider of international students followed by Malaysia, Hong Kong and Indonesia. Two-thirds of higher education students study onshore with an Australian higher education provider while the other one-third study offshore. Countries with large numbers of students studying offshore include Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and China (60 per cent, 56 per cent, 45 per cent and 21 per cent respectively).
There has been a significant growth in offshore enrolments of universities during the past few years, with offshore student numbers increasing by over 114 per cent between 1997 and 2000, and accounting for 32 per cent of all overseas enrolments in 2000. Some smaller universities in particular are targeting the offshore market.
Expenditure by international students
In 2000, international students generated some $3.7 billion income for the Australian economy. Students in the higher education sector contributed $2.0 billion towards the total, with students from Asia undertaking a higher education course contributing $1.5 billion. The majority of international students are full-fee paying unless they are recipients of aid scholarships. Institutions are required to charge, as a minimum, fees designed to recover full economic costs applicable to the course on offer, in order to ensure that resources provided to the Commonwealth for the education of Australian students are not diverted to the provision of services to overseas students.
In aggregate, universities continue to increase their revenues from overseas students. For further information on revenue from overseas students refer to section 1.5 – Prudential Assurance.
Australian competitiveness
Australia is a major provider of international education and training services, and continues to perform strongly against its major competitors. As figure 1.13 indicates, in 2000 growth in Australia’s onshore higher education sector (at 19 per cent) was stronger than that experienced by both the United States and the United Kingdom (which grew by 5 per cent and 2 per cent respectively).
Figure 1.13: Comparison of Australia’s major competitor countries in the onshore higher education sector – growth rates between current and previous year
Source: Overseas Student Statistics
Australia, with 72 700 international higher education students studying onshore in Australia, is ranked third behind the United States (514 700 in 1999–2000) and the United Kingdom (227 300 in 2000–2001). Australia is the top study destination for students from Malaysia and Singapore and is the second largest provider of onshore higher education for Indonesian, Indian and Thai students, behind the United States.
Qualification recognition
In Australia, powers to make recognition decisions about international qualifications lie with the following bodies:
-
in relation to decisions for employment purposes – the professional bodies or employers;
-
in the case of regulated occupations – the State/Territory regulatory authorities;
-
for academic purposes – the educational institutions; and
-
for skilled migration – the approved migration assessing bodies.
The Department facilitates these recognition decisions, and promotes recognition that is fair, equitable and transparent, through a number of products and services. A key product is the Country Education Profiles (CEPs), a series of booklets that describe more than 100 overseas education systems and offer advice on the comparability of overseas qualifications to Australian qualifications. A recent review of CEPs found that they are considered the only document that provides a benchmark for recognition decisions in the Australian context. In the case of universities involved in the export of education, the review found that 90 per cent of overseas student admissions decisions were taken using the CEPs. The Department provides training and an advisory service to assist decision makers.
The Department also undertakes comparative educational assessments which help people to gain employment and enter educational institutions, and under migration legislation, assessments for potentially skilled migrants in the teaching profession. For skilled migration in professions other than teaching, the Department is responsible for approving assessing bodies before their gazettal by the Minister for Immigration, and monitoring their performance to ensure that it is fair, equitable and transparent.
The Department administers two programmes to assist overseas trained residents: the Bridging Courses for the Overseas Trained Programme (NBCOTP) and the Assessment Fee Subsidy for Disadvantaged Overseas Trained Australian Residents (ASDOT).
Under NBCOTP, assistance is made available to permanent Australian residents preparing to meet formal recognition requirements for their profession in Australia. In May 2001, the Government announced that clients under NBCOTP will be required to pay full course costs and could apply for a loan similar to the Postgraduate Education Loans Scheme (PELS). This will allow for increased access without additional expenses to government and should also allow for an increase in the range of professions supported.
The ASDOT scheme pays assessment and examination fees for permanent residents who are financially disadvantaged.
The Department facilitates the mutual recognition of Australian and international qualifications by:
-
participating in bilateral agreements and projects;
-
the international exchange of information; and
-
participating in multilateral fora and conventions.
In 2001 the Department initiated the Asia–Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Architect to promote the mobility of architects between APEC economies.