The 2025 ECAA Conference brought together policymakers, education leaders and sector experts to share insights on the future of international education, with a strong focus on policy integrity and transnational education (TNE) opportunities.
The conference opened with a warm welcome from ECAA President Gary Li, followed by keynote addresses from Danny Pearson, Minister for Economic Growth & Jobs and Minister of Finance; Julian Hill, Assistant Minister for Citizenship, Customs & Multicultural Affairs and Assistant Minister for International Education; Phil Honeywood, CEO of IEAA; Mathew Noble of the Department of Home Affairs; and Eliza Chui of Lygon Group.
Special guests included Dr Sushil Kumar, Consul-General of India, and Ms Dongyuan Liu, Deputy Consul-General of the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China (VIC). Their attendance reflected the strong diplomatic ties and shared commitment to advancing education partnerships between Australia and its key international partners.
Julian Hill underlined the growing importance of international education in Australia’s national planning framework and previewed integrity-related policies set to shape the sector. Meanwhile, Phil Honeywood reinforced IEAA’s advocacy priorities in his keynote address.
The event concluded with a dynamic panel discussion moderated by Seema Shah, Vice President of ECAA, which examined global market trends and TNE opportunities. Sunny Yang of Monash University highlighted the China market and Monash’s international reach; Bronte Neyland of Swinburne University shared Malaysia-focused insights and diverse TNE models; Mathews Nkhoma of RMIT outlined opportunities in Vietnam; and Deanne Dunne of Deakin University provided perspectives on Indonesia and India.
Together, these leaders showcased the depth of expertise and commitment driving Australia’s global higher education presence. With government, sector and institutional leaders aligned, the conference reaffirmed international education as both a national priority and a platform for deeper global engagement.
