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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-07-01 Daily Xml
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International Students

The Hon. T.T. NGO (15:03): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills a question about international education.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.T. NGO: We all know that international students bring energy and diversity which enrich our local community as well as generating economic growth and prosperity. It is a very important sector to our state. With the value of international education exports rising, can the minister tell the chamber of the current status of the value of the international education sector in South Australia and what the state government is doing to grow this very important sector?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (15:04): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. Last year, more than 30,000 international students chose to study in South Australia, and the benefits of these students extend way beyond the institutions that they study in.

South Australia's international education exports, as measured by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, have been increasing for the last three years and have for the first time risen above the $1 billion mark. Also rising at a considerable rate is the number of international student commencements in South Australia, which have grown by 5.46 per cent in the first four months of 2015 compared with the same period in the previous year.

As at December 2014, more than 30,000 international students were enrolled to study in South Australia, which in turn supports around 8,000 local jobs. International students invest in property, shop in our local businesses, visit our tourist attractions and promote South Australia to family and friends back home. As well as that, very often their family comes out to visit and in turn they travel and enjoy sightseeing, and that also adds to our tourism dollar.

The international education sector is a competitive market, and this government is committed to investing in this growing sector to help drive economic prosperity. The growth of the international education sector links directly with the government's economic priority to grow South Australia's reputation as a knowledge state and attract a diverse student body. The 2015-16 state budget includes $5.7 million of additional funds over four years for a new campaign that will market South Australia as the destination of choice for international students.

The Destination Adelaide campaign will boost South Australia's competitiveness in attracting international students from key Asian markets to our education institutions while linking with tourism and trade opportunities. The Destination Adelaide campaign will focus on, amongst other things, marketing South Australia to key Asian markets, including China, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Hong Kong; developing scholarship and incentive programs; better aligning StudyAdelaide campaigns with the South Australian Tourism Commission to maximise their impact; and expanding on the Qingdao Ambassador Campaign to Shandong, which was a hugely successful ambassador campaign. I am also advised that a StudyAdelaide student guide mobile app will be developed and can be downloaded by international students prior to or upon arrival in Adelaide.

The ambassador program, which was launched in October last year, as I said, was an incredible success. It received more than 170 million online views and attracted applications from 800 students. Expansion of the Qingdao Ambassador Campaign across Shandong and the greater Destination Adelaide campaign will mean greater exposure of South Australia's abundant opportunities to millions more potential students and will market South Australia as a destination of choice and quality for international students.

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