International Students

The Hon. S.W. KEY (Ashford) (14:51): My question is to the Minister for Investment and Trade. How are the achievements of international students being recognised in South Australia?

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Minister for Investment and Trade, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (14:52): I thank the member for Ashford for the question. International education is South Australia's number one service export, with the latest ABS statistics showing a 12.5 per cent increase in value in 2016 to $1.13 billion. The government aims to have 35,500 international students studying here by the end of this year—a target we are on track to achieve. I think that is almost twice the size of Mount Barker and many times the size of Kangaroo Island—a very significant number of young people walking around the city every week.

The StudyAdelaide Student of the Month initiative aims to recognise and reward international students for their outstanding achievements during their time in Adelaide. It is an opportunity for StudyAdelaide's member institutions to nominate outstanding students in the following categories: academics, arts, sports, volunteering, innovation, mentoring and as ambassadors. Winning students receive a certificate signed by the Minister for Investment and Trade and a gift voucher.

The winners for the first round in April are Vinh Dang from Vietnam, studying a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) at the University of Adelaide, whose commitment to volunteering is why he was nominated by the university, and Ugur Berat Yulmiz from Turkey, who is studying a Bachelor of Software Development at TAFE SA. Again, Ugur is an enthusiastic volunteer at the Digital Hub on Hutt Street and the Art Gallery.

There were three winners selected for the May Student of the Month awards: Victor De Yi Law is from Malaysia and studying a Bachelor of Science (Veterinary Bioscience) at the University of Adelaide, Kaiduo (Kevin) Wei is from China and studying his MBA at Flinders University, and Chia Hao Lee is from Taiwan and studying a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery at TAFE SA.

The June winner, Abhishek Mathew from Canada, is currently studying at the University of Adelaide and is in his third year of dentistry. As a brand-new student, not only was he elected by his peer to be their representative in dentistry but he was appointed Tutor in Dentistry at St Ann's College this year. Congratulations to the winners so far.

Nationally, education exports are valued at $21 billion, almost $22 billion, in the 2016 calendar year, up by 17.7 per cent. As I mentioned, South Australia accounts for a significant portion of that national education export revenue. Every one of these young people rents an apartment, they buy meals, their parents come out to visit and they are fantastic for the state. Nationally, fees to education institutions account for around 48.3 per cent of the value of education exports and 50.9 per cent on other goods and services, for example, living expenses. On a sector basis, the value of education as an export was mainly from higher education vocational training, claiming 69.5 per cent and 17 per cent respectively.

The contribution of international students to our economy extends beyond the purely financial benefits of expenditure on education to retail, accommodation and tourism. They also enrich the social and cultural diversity of South Australia and contribute to society through participation in the workforce and their local communities. This is a great industry flourishing in the state.