Page 3238 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 23 August 2017
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
Growing our profile as a destination of choice for international students and researchers is an important component of the government’s broader economic diversification strategy. While we already benefit from a strong international footprint by being home to world-renowned institutions, making the most of future economic opportunities will require us to further draw on cutting edge research and top tier talent abroad to improve our linkages to the global economy.
That work begins by ensuring that we support our higher education, training and research institutions in being able to attract, retain and leverage students and researchers at all levels of study and help them give international strong linkages to the Canberra community.
In this way we will continue to strengthen our international education exports and give even more back to the ACT economy by promoting our community to the world and growing its presence in the global economy.
MS CODY: Minister, how is the government working to attract students to our higher education institutions and ensure that enrolments continue to grow?
MS FITZHARRIS: Last year, members will recall, we released “Canberra: Australia’s education capital”, which commits the government to work collaboratively with Canberra’s education providers to build on our reputation as a centre for high quality higher education, word-class research, innovation and employment outcomes. Through the ACT vice-chancellor’s forum chaired by the Chief Minister we are working to build on existing activities to coordinate our marketing presence abroad and enhance the student experience with the Canberra community.
Under the strategy the government is actively marketing Canberra as a centre for high quality higher education and a study destination of choice for international students and researchers. It is working with education providers to grow existing source countries and diversify into new ones, leveraging trade missions and the higher education institutions’ overseas alumni networks to promote Canberra to international communities.
I welcome the recent announcement of a possible new University of New South Wales campus in the ACT. This broadens our already extensive offering for tertiary studies in a sector where we are already recognised as one of the world’s leading education cities. Canberra is already home to top ranking universities and research institutions including the ANU, the University of Canberra, UNSW Canberra at the ADFA campus, the Australian Catholic University, Charles Sturt University, Data61, CSIRO and Geoscience Australia and, of course, the Canberra Institute of Technology. There is enormous potential for an expanded UNSW Canberra to collaborate with these institutions, boosting our city’s research capability and attracting more students. In this year’s budget we also continued to fund the very important study Canberra program.
MS ORR: Minister, can you provide an overview of popular areas of study and what the student population comprises?
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video