Social Inclusion of International Students TAFE MEETS PARLIAMENT: SKILLS INNOVATION September 2008 Dennis Murray IEAA Executive Director

17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation IEAA  Established in 2004  Membership (600 and growing) in Australia and overseas)  Covers all education sectors – higher education, VET, schools and ELICOS  12% VET members  Membership is individual not institutional  Jointly presents the AIEC

17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation Is there a problem? What do we know about the lived experiences of international students?

17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation Media beat-up? “Experts warn of Campus Ghettos” The Age, 23 July 2008 “Mixing Tough for International Students” The Age, 23 July 2008 “The schism between local and international students is quite real in the senior levels of secondary schools” Letter writer, The Age, 25 July 2008 “ The ‘widening gulf’ between international and local students is not news to anyone in the education sector” Student Rights Officer Multi-sectoral University The Age, 25 July 2008

17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation Is there a problem? Growing body of evidence that international students face a wide range of problems in areas such as:  Housing  Health  Finances  Employment  Safety and security  Discrimination and racism  Relations with the civil authorities  Social integration generally on and off campus

17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation Definitions “Social inclusion” = effective engagement with the Australian community on and off campus Closely linked to two other concepts:  Cultural congruence (CC)  “Study-work-life balance” (SWLB)

17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation Broadening the concepts  “Social inclusion” and “student experience” are concepts that need broadening beyond the campus.  To date mostly focus on (1) internal institutional environment, (2) the decision making processes of international students and (3) the development of skills and graduate attributes

17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation Broadening the concepts  Have ignored the lack of support and engagement beyond campuses and  Increasingly fly in the face of mounting evidence about problems faced by international students in the wider Australian community

17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation Opinion or fact?  What does the media say?  What do institutions say?  What do researchers say?  What do students say?  What do civil authorities say?  Are there problem localities? (the “Melbourne syndrome”?)  Who is right?

17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation Why is this important?  Meeting the promise to international students  Economic success  Well being of the Australian community

17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation An action program  Getting the evidence  Fostering the self-managed development of international students  Starting now?

17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation Action: Getting the Evidence  What are the issues?  What do we know?/ What don’t we know?  Are there examples of good practice?  How do we find out?  How do we disseminate the findings?

17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation Self-managed development of international students What is meant? Institutions should actively work to provide the context for this by:  Fostering active and representative international student groups  Providing a bridge to the wider community

17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation Action: who should be concerned? What is the role of:  institutions and sectors?  governments?  international students?  local communities?  Local business?  civil authorities?  professional associations?

17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation Action: Starting Now  Supporting a research agenda to get the evidence  Identifying and disseminating good practice  Beginning a media campaign  Beginning some priority professional development – e.g. safety and security of international students

17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation AIEC Session “Social Inclusion of International Students” Brisbane, Wednesday 8 October 2008 Speakers include AEI, a former International student leader, a researcher, and a member of the Victorian or Queensland Police force

17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation