1. Social Inclusion of International Students TAFE MEETS PARLIAMENT: SKILLS INNOVATION 2020 17 September 2008 Dennis Murray IEAA Executive Director

2. 17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation 20201 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

3. 17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation 20202 Is there a problem? What do we know about the lived experiences of international students?

4. 17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation 20203 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

5. 17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation 20204 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

6. 17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation 20205 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)

7. 17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation 20206 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

8. 17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation 20207 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

9. 17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation 20208 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?

10. 17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation 20209 Why is this important?  Meeting the promise to international students  Economic success  Well being of the Australian community

11. 17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation 202010 An action program  Getting the evidence  Fostering the self-managed development of international students  Starting now?

12. 17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation 202011 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?

13. 17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation 202012 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

14. 17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation 202013 Action: who should be concerned? What is the role of:  institutions and sectors?  governments?  international students?  local communities?  Local business?  civil authorities?  professional associations?

15. 17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation 202014 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

16. 17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation 202015 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. 17/09/08Presentation to TDA Skills Innovation 202016 www.ieaa.org.au