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