Transformative Scoping Study to Position this Sector as a Global Leader

⁠⁠⁠Transform and impact the Australian international education sector through delivering the game-changing insights that will drive the whole industry towards innovation in a digitally disrupted and competitive global landscape

Australia is positioned as a global leader in education. International education is one of Australia’s largest export sectors, valued at $22 billion and supporting around 130,000 jobs. There is significant opportunity for ongoing growth, particularly in developing economies where demand to meet increasing skills needs is strong.

Realising these opportunities is not a certainty, however. There are significant competitive pressures emerging, both from Australia’s traditional competitors as well as from new challengers.

While overall international student satisfaction with Australia remains relatively high (89% in 2016), the 2016 ‘International Student Barometer’ found that surveyed students in the United Kingdom had the highest satisfaction globally at 91%. Furthermore, having experienced overseas study, students that were enrolled in Australian higher education are less likely to recommend it to others compared to than peers studying in the United Kingdom, Germany, United States and the Netherlands. While not the sole determiner of student satisfaction, quality digital engagement is a contributing factor.

Australia’s future approach to digital engagement must be agile and ready for constant change. Fresh thinking and action must drive our combined efforts, particularly as learners and education institutions are generally highly digitally connected and online behaviour in emerging markets is rapidly changing owing to technological leapfrogging.