The Learning Abroad Fair Circuit is a collaboration among Australian universities to encourage students to study overseas on learning abroad programs.
A highlight on the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) calendar and for the Learning Abroad Network Leadership team, it enables international university representatives and local partners to showcase offerings across the Australian network.
In 2025 the Australian circuit, from 31 March – 15 April, presents an opportunity for university partners and stakeholders to engage with thousands of students on campus.
It is a valuable event, celebrating this educational pillar of internationalisation and highlights Australia’s educational programming excellence globally. During the 2019 sectoral peak, Australian institutions enabled 58,058 students to experience learning abroad, with close to 1 in 4 undergraduates taking part of their degree overseas.
Championing the circuit, Simon Watson, Senior Manager, Global Mobility Programs at UTS notes the “signature initiative shows the commitment from Australian universities to Learning Abroad and to transformational global education experiences for students.” In his role as National Convener of the IEAA Learning Abroad Network Simons experience and insight reflects that the circuit “deepens valuable person-to-person linkages, engaging them directly with Aussie students and campuses, while showing off all that our country has to offer.” The circuit by ‘team Australia’ is a shining example of institutions coming together as a supportive colony.
A critical part of Australia’s educational presence overseas, “the circuit signals Australian institutions are open for business, working together and cooperatively, supportively and bilaterally, for the benefit of students”, says Rachel Wellam, Director Monash Abroad. Rachels institution has a large cohort of outbound students across a network of international campuses and sites, including Prato, Italy; a campus in Malaysia and the Warwick Alliance and Global Immersion Guarantee.
With 27 Australian Universities already locked into the 2025 program, visiting learning abroad providers and partner universities and institutions are invited to express interest in attending parts of or all of the circuit as it crisscrosses the great Australian landscape.
Australian and international partners can reach out to join the 2025 circuit through IEAA here.
A shout-out by The Koala to the wonderful networks in North and South America supporting Australians learning abroad. These regions are deeply entwined with Australia across a range of cultural, political, trade and investment, sporting, artistic and scientific endeavours; Australian universities are keen to support your attendance on the 2025 circuit.
Diana Gonzalez, Manager Deakin Global Learning says, “the circuit is a fantastic collaborative effort by the Learning Abroad sector, showcasing our shared commitment to international education and the value of our global partnerships”. It does this in spades and is clearly a complementary program for Deakin that might support their presence in GIFT city, Gujarat, India and the new partnership delivery model with Lancaster University in Bandung, Indonesia.
An iconic initiative
The genesis for what was originally named the National Exchange Fair Circuit was born in 2003. One of the key drivers, Dr Brendon Nelson’s paper ‘Engaging the World Through Education’ highlighted the paucity of Australian students at that time who had an international mobility experience within their education.
Developed across 2004 and delivered through ISANA, the first circuit ran in 2005 with 25 participating universities: it was quickly evident through the uptake by institutions and visitors that this scale of event and sectoral commitment was a game changer that would position Australia as a global leader in learning abroad.
Oversight of the exchange fair circuit was taken on by the IEAA Student Mobility Special Interest Group (pre-cursor to the Learning Abroad Network) in around 2008 and has been carried forward as a responsibility of the group since; now branded as the Learning Abroad Fair Circuit.
Circling back; Rob Malicki, CEO of the Global Society, Australia’s Learning Abroad support company, was a key architect of the 2005 circuit and now reflects, “I hadn’t thought 20 years ahead when creating the Exchange Fair Circuit, but it’s a testament to how well our industry collaborates and is driven by outcomes for students”. It’s indeed a testament to both Robs passion and leadership and the creativity of a small working party that redefined the Australian learning abroad landscape.
How does the circuit work?
Participating universities nominate a day, or several days, over which they will hold a fair. Universities in the same states often collaborating to hold fairs in the same period, to enable partners and international visitors to travel easily between events. A business roadshow, if you like.
Australian universities invite international partners and other key stakeholders to attend. International partners can then plan their own route around Australia, based around their Australian partnership network.
Amy Ryan, in her role as Head of Student Mobility and Exchange at University of Sydney believes the “event is like no other in the world”. The national coordination is certainly a standout feature. Amy says the “opportunities for global engagement by inviting international partners to experience Australian education firsthand also informing our students about the invaluable benefits of studying abroad.” With a newly minted partnership with HEX: Innovating Education to tie up a School of Record Partnership with Sydney, students now have clearly identifiable pathway to gain credit for an international entrepreneurial experience.
Institutions can organise their event as creatively and differently as they see fit. However, each learning abroad fair tends to focus on a day when staff and students from visiting partner institutions can speak to local students interested in undertaking exchange at an overseas university or a learning abroad program through another university partner.
Linda Rust, Manager Global Learning at University of Melbourne exemplifies the collegiate approach personally and institutionally… “We are not in competition with one another in this space, we collectively want to succeed in seeing the sector grow each year, as our students have the amazing and enriching opportunity that learning abroad brings.”
Representatives from supporting sectors, such as commercial organisations, foreign government diplomatic missions, Australian government representatives, funding bodies, and service providers, are also invited and can participate in promoting their work across the circuit, showcasing their contribution to higher education initiatives and learning abroad.
The circuit is a valuable opportunity to connect partners with the network of campuses across Australia, enabling them to experience the kaleidoscope of experiences on offer to incoming study abroad students who will study in Australia on reciprocal, exchange and study abroad programs. The time partners spend on campus allows them to explore academic programs within a broader rich sensory experience.
Heidi Piper, Director International Griffith University, sees the circuit adding this value through “the advantage of enabling us to share our beautiful campuses and communities with our partners so they can have a taste of the experience we provide to their students who study with us.” Griffith, with an exemplary world-class student support program ‘Griffith Mates’ will showcase its offerings on the circuit through the student peer network that supports inbound students from their partner network.
What does the fair circuit achieve?
International visitors have a supercharged, concentrated opportunity to access this Australian higher education circuit: currently through 12 cities and regions, with 27 institutions across 16 days. It enables the;
- Promotion of outbound educational programs to Australian students and increase the level of student participation.
- Encouragement of international partners to come to Australia and promote their institution as a learning abroad destination.
- Opportunity for other interested stakeholders to promote themselves, such as the Australian government promoting the OS-HELP loans scheme.
- Increased visibility and exposure of outbound mobility programs across Australia.
Beyond the student experience, the circuit presents an “opportunity for staff on campus who typically would never get an opportunity to meet and engage with our global partners to do this, this assists in building more learning abroad ‘champions’ in the process” says Stewart Collins Associate Director Global Mobility at Swinburne University. The Swinburne model is a sector leader in the provision of industry placements for students, a featured ‘moonshot’ in their strategic plan where every student gets work experience. So, the opportunity to build learning abroad into work integrated learning programs is a unique part of the offering and brings industry connectivity and corporate partnerships into play.
In an increasingly complex higher education environment where programs might be seen as competing for airplay, Stewart notes “the size of the event means that it gets attention from a across the university communities and so helps raise the profile of learning abroad more broadly.” The circuit is a national flagship initiative bringing campuses together to showcase the excellence of the education sector and the robust stakeholder network that underpins learning abroad.
Like a traditional open day, the circuit itself acts as an internal promotional opportunity to bring what might otherwise be disparate groups across the university together for common purpose; academics, industry partners, students, professional staff, careers and employment groups, sporting and arts groups, government and community organisations.
Want to know more?
For prospective and returning circuit attendees, you play a valuable role in reigniting the Australian sector. You can;
- Read about the Learning Abroad Circuit here
- Check out the 2025 schedule here
- Learn about who is involved here
- Find out how it works here
… perhaps the penultimate word, as 2025 planning ramps up, from national convener Simon Watson, “the circuit demonstrates how we roll in Australia, we’re welcoming, collaborative, and more than a little bit of fun.” In this sector still finding its way back from Covid, the positive sentiment and collegiality are key to rebuilding learning abroad as the unique and world class pillar in Australia’s suite of international education offerings.
The Koala looks forward to joining Australian institutions in welcoming international partners to our shores in 2025.
So, whether you are a local or international partner, reach out through the university contacts list here or to IEAA here for more information on joining the 2025 circuit.
Note: An important historical reference and to acknowledge and celebrate (his) work and contribution; the 17th June 2005 ISANA report covering the inaugural Fair circuit was submitted by the Chair of the Study Abroad and Exchange Special Interest Group, ISANA International Education Association Inc. – Mr Rob Malicki. At that point Rob was Outbound Programs Adviser, Macquarie International, Macquarie University and remains a champion of the circuit.
