Welcome back!
The Koala hopes you have had a great break and a fantastic start to 2024!
The following five stories were published over the break, and this little Koala thought you might find them interesting:
University Accord Presented to Minister
In the final update from the Chair of the Australian Universities Accord Panel on 31 December 2023, Mary O’Kane says:
In November 2022, the Australian Universities Accord Panel was tasked with making recommendations to deliver a higher education system that meets the current and future needs of the nation.
On 28 December, the Panel presented its Final Report to the Minister for Education, the Hon Jason Clare MP.
The Final Report contains 47 recommendations for change. Each goes to the Review’s vision of a stronger Australia; a nation that is highly skilled, productive, equitable and knowledgeable, underpinned by a vital tertiary education system.
My Panel colleagues and I are honoured to have been entrusted with this important task. Once more, thank you to all those who played a part – big or small – in the Review process.
With the Accord at its end, the real work begins. I look forward to Government releasing the Final Report in due course. Please check the Accord website for updates.
I wish everyone a restful break and a wonderful 2024.
The Chair’s final update can be seen here.
The Koala awaits the release of the report by the Minister.
How universities came to rely on international students
The Koala was reminded of a story published by Associate Professor Julia Horne, Historian and a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of History at the University of Sydney.
Titled “How Universities Came to Rely on International Students”, it is a succinct history of International Education policy in Australia and useful for those who want a 5-minute read or those requiring a reference point for a PowerPoint or paper.
The Conversation initially published the story and can be found on The University of Sydney website here (25/5/2020).
Thanks to Chris Hogg from Austrade for posting.
Alcohol now allowed in Gujarat’s GIFT City
ET NOW (India) reports Alcohol now allowed in Gujarat’s GIFT City; but only for these people, with these conditions.
The Koala senses a collective sigh of relief from those teaching the Master of Business Analytics and Master of Cyber Security (Professional) programs at Deakin University, which will be the first programs to roll out in GIFT City later this year.
The state of Gujarat is the birthplace of the “father of the nation”, Mahatma Gandhi. The state has adhered to a ban on the production, storage, sale, and consumption of alcoholic beverages since its inception.
There has been a little loophole for foreigners. Something this little Koala knows all too well, having spent time in the basements of hotels with a liquor permit in hand.
As ET states, “A government order from the Narcotics and Excise Department permitted alcohol consumption through ‘wine and dine’ in hotels in the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT) area. Interestingly, however, these hotels, clubs and restaurants will not be allowed to ‘sell’ bottles to customers.”
Deloitte Publishes Tourism Market Outlook 2023
On 22 December 2023 Deloitte Access Economic Partner Adele Labine-Romain published their Tourism Market Outlook 2023.
It provides general insights into the broader tourism; however, it doesn’t highlight the Education component in the way the koala had hoped. The Koala has followed up with the author from Deloitte and will let you know when a response has been received.
The report can be seen here.
Shifty vocational education and training providers shut down or sanctioned
On 5 January, The Australian reports that Skills Minister Brendan O’Connor says about 14 vocational education and training providers have been shut down, and 70 have faced regulatory action under a government crackdown on dodgy operators. There appears to be more to this story as outlined by Claire Field in The Koala here.
