The International Student Barometer (ISB) – 2010 National Report confirmed that quality learning and living experiences matter most to international students before and during their study in Australia.

Overall, 86% of surveyed students were satisfied with their education experience.  High levels of satisfaction were recorded for the arrival process (86%), learning (84%), living (86%) and support (86%).

The policy is also available in Arabic, Chinese, Dinka, Greek, Italian and Vietnamese.  View the translated versions.

These meetings will provide an opportunity for QETI to update industry on government-led initiatives, and to discuss concerns about current issues facing the sector.

Meeting details:

• Cairns – 16 May
• Townsville – 17 May 
• Brisbane – 17 May
• Gold Coast – 17 May
• Sunshine Coast – 18 May
• Rockhampton – 19 May
• Mackay – 20 May 

For more information please contact Ms Tina Vasiljevic by email or phone 07 3247 3796.

This workshop will help participants to understand:

• the elements of effective marketing
• key legislation that governs marketing and international student recruitment
• the skills in dealing with clients and stakeholders, including education agents
• managing risk in marketing and recruitment.

The workshop will be interactive and encourage discussion and questioning.

Workshop details:

• Mackay – 11 May
• Townsville – 12 May 
• Brisbane – 13 May

RSVP by 5.00 pm Wednesday 4 May 2011 to Tina.Vasiljevic@trade.qld.gov.au

Places are limited and RSVP is essential. There is no cost to attend the workshop. Please register early to avoid disappointment.

For further information, please contact Ms Tina Vasiljevic by email or phone 07 3247 3796.

• Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE will receive two grants to deliver Certificate IV in Training and Assessment courses in Mumbai and Bangalore
• Australian Trade College North Brisbane will receive two grants to deliver Certificate IV in Training and Assessment courses in Bhubaneshwar and Hyderabad.

The day will run between 11am to 4pm and include a full free day of live music, food, local information and Australian wildlife, prizes and much more.

Hosted by Brisbane Marketing’s Study Brisbane program and supported by Brisbane City Council (BCC), the BWIS is now in its fourth year and is recognised as the city’s official welcome event for new international students.

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman, who will launch the BWIS, said the event showed that Brisbane was back in business and ready to start the new study year.

“We want to give Brisbane’s new international students a warm welcome and let them know that all of our education institutions are open and ready to commence the new semester,” Cr Newman said.

“For many of these students, it will be their first time in Brisbane, so we also want to provide them with all the information and support they need so they can experience this city to its fullest.

“I encourage all international and local students to come along to King George Square this Saturday (5 March) between 11am and 4pm to experience a true taste of Australia’s new world city.”

Ben Southall, the Queensland Tourism Ambassador and Michael Kasprowicz, former Australian cricketer and UQ’s Goodwill Ambassador to India will be involved in the event again, sharing their experiences about living in Brisbane.

To further mark this festive event, the Lord Mayor will announce the 2011 Brisbane International Student Ambassadors, a program managed by Brisbane Marketing’s Study Brisbane program.

“With 24 countries represented in the program, 29 new Ambassadors will play an important role in promoting Brisbane as a new world city offering world-class opportunities to their home countries,” Brisbane Marketing’s CEO John Aitken said.

“The Ambassador program is all about acknowledging international students as global advocates for Brisbane. When our Ambassadors return to their home cities in the future, they may become captains in industry and government. The Ambassador program creates strong long term global connections for Brisbane.

“The Ambassadors will begin their honorary role by supporting Brisbane’s largest student welcome event, greeting and meeting international students and helping to make international students feel welcome in Brisbane.”

“I look forward to meeting all Ambassadors at the Brisbane Welcomes International Students event.”

The event will showcase approximately 50 exhibitors, including education institutions, transport providers, banks, public transport services, community engagement groups, sporting groups and student accommodation providers. Through this community approach Study Brisbane hopes to provide essential orientation information for students.

Come and visit us at the Study Queensland pavilion. You could even score a gift from us that will come in handy when studying!

CRICOS-registered public and private VET institutions in Queensland are eligible to submit an application to participate in the program.  Four grants are available for institutions to deliver a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment course in India.

Read more information. 

To apply, email your completed application form to qeti@trade.qld.gov.au by 28 February 2011.

These focus groups will investigate issues of importance to international students such as social interaction, student services, and work experience, and identify practical solutions for international education providers to improve the experience of international students.

All participants in the focus groups will receive a gift voucher in appreciation of their participation. The identities of all participants and participating institutions will be treated confidentially and will not be published in any form. 

Focus group dates

Gold Coast: 4-5 April 2011
Brisbane: 6-9 April 2011

If you are interested in attending a focus group, please register here or send us an email for more information.

More than 3000 students from across the globe will be there to enjoy live music, food stalls and wildlife displays, and to gather all the information you could need to settle into life in Queensland.

You could even score a gift from us that will come in handy when studying!

Where:  King George Square, Brisbane

When:   Saturday 5 March 2011 

Cost:      Free event

Find out more information about the event. To attend, register now and you will go into the draw to win a $500 Commonwealth Bank Travel Money Card.

We look forward to seeing you there!

The Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) initiative assessed research quality within Australia’s higher education providers using a combination of indicators reviewed by internationally recognised experts.

ERA found approximately 66% of units of evaluation for Queensland institutions rated at world standard or above.

Queensland’s universities excelled across a broad range of disciplines, performing above and well above world research activity standards in fields including:

• agriculture and veterinary sciences (particularly fisheries sciences)
• biological sciences (particularly microbiology, plant biology, evolutionary biology, ecology, and zoology)
• built environment and design (particularly urban and regional planning)
• business and management
• chemical sciences
• earth sciences (particularly oceanography)
• education (particularly curriculum and pedagogy, and education systems)
• environmental engineering
• environmental sciences (particularly soil sciences, environmental science and management)
• information systems
• language, communication and culture (particularly communication and media studies, and cultural studies)
• law and legal studies
• mathematical sciences (particularly applied mathematics)
• medical and health sciences (particularly nursing, dentistry, and human movement and sports science)
• political science
• physical sciences (particularly quantum physics, and condensed matter physics)
• technology
• tourism.

Here is a brief overview of Queensland universities’ performances in the evaluation:

The University of Queensland (UQ)

• Above world standard in more fields of research than any other Australian university.
• 21 broad fields of UQ research ranked in the highest two ratings bands, signifying well above world standard and above world standard.
• UQ’s research in biomedical and clinical health sciences, biotechnology, engineering, biological sciences, environmental sciences, chemical sciences and physical sciences were ranked well above world standard (level 5).  

For more information on UQ visit www.uq.edu.au

CQUniversity

• CQUniversity’s engineering, medical and health sciences, and nursing research at a world-class standard

For more information on CQUniversity visit www.cqu.edu.au

James Cook University (JCU)

• JCU’s research output rated world class in 23 categories.
• In the fields of environmental science and management, and fisheries sciences JCU was the only Australian university awarded the highest possible rating of 5.

For more information on JCU visit www.jcu.edu.au

Griffith University

• Almost 93 per cent of researchers in fields of research assessed at world standard or better.
• ERA’s highest possible rating of 5, reserved for outstanding research, awarded to physical sciences, specifically quantum physics, and dentistry.

For more information on Griffith University visit www.griffith.edu.au

Queensland University of Technology (QUT)

• World-class rankings in over 75% of its research fields.
• Judged to have world-class research in 17 of the 22 broad fields of research.
• QUT received rankings of 5, the highest possible score, in the field of language, communications and culture.
• Achieved a ranking of 4, above world standard, in the fields of mathematical sciences, physical sciences, chemical sciences,  medical and health sciences (public and allied health), information and computing sciences, built environment and design (building and engineering design) and education.

For more information on QUT visit www.qut.edu.au

Read more information on the report.