SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS

• Ensure the proposed measures remain guidelines, not enforceable by Government, and that there will not be penalties to universities who do not increase diversification.
• Seek sustainability of international education recruitment, rather than sustainable growth, in line with pre-pandemic growth trends.
• Locate education counsellors in new and emerging target markets and task them with; 1) advocating for Australia as a study destination, including remaining up to date on current visa conditions, post-study work rights and the advantages of an Australian education; 2) helping to open the regulatory doors that will allow universities to effectively recruit.
• Create alignments between DESE, Home Affairs and DFAT to ensure diversification goals are a priority for all departments.
• Consult with state and territory bodies responsible for international business development/education specialists to ensure alignment of goals.
• Empower and resource Austrade to take an approach more like that of the British Council or Campus France.
• Implement migration incentives and swifter visa approvals to remain competitive with other destinations of choice.
• Consider the implications for removing the Australian Study Requirement for offshore study, while continuing to allow international students from Australian universities to apply for post-study visas, irrespective of where and how they studied.
• Extend existing scholarship opportunities, create new scholarships for students from new target markets, and increase Commonwealth Supported Places for refugees.
• Expand the New Colombo Plan and Australia Awards and reinstate the Endeavour Awards.
• Assess how the current TEQSA, ESOS, SSVF and GTE requirements may be hindering greater diversification goals.
• Maintain the Destination Australia scholarships.
• Provide clearer pathways to permanent residency.
• Educate and incentivise Australian employers to offer paid internships to international students and jobs to international graduates on 485 visas.
• Work with the sector and industries to address challenges for international students securing relevant work experience.
• Broaden the scope of the Diversification Index to incorporate a wider range of demographic and sociographic factors, enabling prospective students to interact with the data and find information relevant to their specific circumstances.
• Reconsider the need for Diversification Action Plan templates, given that universities already do this work.
• If the proposal for Diversification Action Plans goes forward:
  • Any proposed approach to encouraging diversity needs to be applied consistently to all CRICOS-registered providers and not just public universities.
  • Invest time and resources into a thorough consultation process, including with onshore university staff and offshore recruitment staff working in non-traditional markets.
  • Take market considerations into account when setting timelines.