Campus Review Volume 26. Issue 2 | Page 10

campusreview.com.au INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION Sleeping giant, Indian tiger F or any study destination country, 1 million inbound tuition-paying international students sounds like a big number. In fact, it is Austrade’s often-quoted target. But given Australia’s overall population size is just 24 million, this remains an aspirational figure. The actual number of international students studying in the US is 1 million, but as a percentage of overall population this is 10 times smaller than what Australia intends to enrol. This proportion may well be set to increase. To help cope with a range of new challenges, American universities are waking up to the possible benefits of ramping up their overseas student enrolments. These institutions are the sleeping giants of global international education. At the same time, Indian education agents are now actively pursuing US-based education offerings, ready to pounce on any market opening. The booming Australian international education market could be significantly diminished, therefore, if a marriage of convenience takes place between Indian and American education stakeholders. GFC SHIFTS AMERICAN FOCUS The sprawling US sector is starting to court more overseas students, and the subcontinent may provide a pipeline; Australia’s dominance has a new challenge. By Phil Honeywood 8 Imagine the outcry in Australia if our 39 public universities were