When we talk about the link between international education and immigration, discussions often centre around the numbers – net overseas migration figures, visa statistics, economic benefit and so on. At this week’s Australian International Education Conference (AIEC), Cate Gilpin, National Coordinator of Welcoming Universities at Welcoming Australia, is calling for a shift in perspective. In her session, Bridging international education and immigration: towards a sustainable and inclusive future, Gilpin will remind us that behind every statistic is a human being.
Gilpin’s session will explore what it means to take a truly human-centred approach to international education and immigration. She will challenge policymakers to move beyond opaque and siloed frameworks, to instead focus on building transparent systems that can support student success.
Bridging international education and immigration: towards a sustainable and inclusive future will be on Thursday, 16 October, 4.20-5.20pm in the Nicholls Theatre, chaired by Stephanie Bethencourt-Joyce, Global Stakeholder Engagement Manager, IDP Education Australia.
The themes that Gilpin will cover at AIEC follow on from a recent report she co-authored with Welcoming Australia colleague, Olga Cherniak, From ‘Cash Cows’ to Valued Voices: Rethinking Australia’s treatment of International Students.
Released in June, the report centres around the results of a participatory study of over 150 international students and alumni, aimed at understanding their lived experience at a time when the sector in Australia has been going through significant change.
A key finding of the report was that international students feel they are valued more for their financial input than their cultural and social contributions. It recommends eight priorities, including communicating what’s available clearly and often, making support services accessible and cultural safe, and addressing specific, practical needs.
“Ultimately, this is a call for a new mindset,” says Gilpin. “If we’re serious about moving beyond the “cash cow” narrative, we must ask: what would it look like if we truly recognised international students as equal contributors, co-creators, and community members?”
A copy of the report is available here.
Welcoming Australia is a not-for-profit organisation that works to create communities where everyone can belong, regardless of where they come from. Founded in 2011, it partners with local governments, schools, universities and employers to turn the idea of welcome into practical action.
The Welcoming Universities initiative supports Australian universities build a culture of welcome, inclusion and belonging, on their campuses, in their communities, and across the higher education sector. You can find out more about the Welcoming Universities initiative here.
