To pay tribute to the vitality of the international educational system to Melbourne's economic growth, a fresh set of rules for overseas students has been made public. Using diaspora and alumni groups, particularly those of international students in Melbourne, it hopes to encourage the investment of foreigners.
With approximately 170,000 international students studying in Melbourne, the initiative aims to highlight the city's multiculturalism. Increasing tourism, student enrollment, and investment are among the reasons behind introducing this framework.
Additionally, the initiative pledges to promote the global education market through advocacy, welcoming freshmen, helping them find employment, and promoting more student exchange programmes. However, details of what this entails have not been provided by the city.
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The proposed framework intends to foster the potential and leadership of international students, as well as their entrepreneurial and business acumen, while also enhancing the job routes and building enduring bonds with graduates and alumni.
Since the respective authorities are mindful of how significantly international students contribute to the city's culture, environment, and economic status, Melbourne is striving to become Australia's best place for the student experience, says Davydd Griffiths, councillor and head of the City of Melbourne's education and innovation portfolio.
He went on to say that via vigorous advocacy and support measures, Melbourne had been able to restore 92% of the pre-pandemic proportions of the global student body.
Future promotions will emphasise Melbourne's multiculturalism and depict it as a contemporary, hospitable city with a diverse population. At present, 71% of the city's inhabitants have at least one parent who was born in another country, making up 55% of its population.
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The initiative will aid in luring overseas students to study in Australia, explains Layton Pike, executive director of international at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), who was involved with the formulation of the refreshed approach.
International students are returning steadily to Melbourne, and RMIT expects the current pattern to continue. Although it would take a few years for applications to exceed levels before the pandemic began, he said they are in accordance with predictions.
The associated authorities need to do more to capitalise on Melbourne's distinctive advantages, such as its variety and ethnic diversity, to set the city apart from other regions of Australia and the globe with respect to the educational experience that foreign students might encounter while studying in Melbourne.
When cities collaborate internationally, it is to increase awareness, comprehension, and linkages to those cities, which will only support the efforts going forward, he continued. Pike further emphasised the significance of capturing Melbourne's diversity.
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In accordance with the introduced strategy, the goal is to promote Melbourne as an economic centre for the region that encompasses Asia-Pacific. This is done to maintain contact with important Asian markets, notably China, which is the primary driver of foreign students and visitors to Melbourne. Countries such as Singapore, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, and Vietnam are further significant nations.
Melbourne held an Open Innovation Competition in the starting months of 2023 for entrepreneurs and innovators with the objective of building a welcoming city for students and alumni. All of the awardees were former overseas students, and they all worked towards finding jobs for foreign students.
Source: The Economic Times
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