Aussies and Kiwis workout on int'l education

25 November 2005

Aussies and Kiwis workout on international education

For the first time a major Australasian conference on international education takes place in New Zealand.

Christchurch is hosting the 16th Annual ISANA: International Education Association conference from 29 November to 3 December. Around 300 people who work at the “coal face” of international education from New Zealand and Australia will meet to thrash out practical solutions to the changing faces of our educational institutions.

“It’s all very well for our countries to take pride in the export dollars we earn from international students, but we really need to work hard on making the experience of education in Australia and New Zealand a great one for the international students as well as a positive ones for our domestic students,” says Paula Dunstan, ISANA President.

NZ branch President Sylvia Hooker is particular looking forward to the delegates grappling with enhancing the student experience through strengthening of the pastoral care and learning support given to students. “In recent years a new profession has emerged of highly skilled, highly motivated cross-cultural education student advisers. There is no university where they can go and gain a qualification, so this conference is of particular importance to their professional development.”

The conference theme is “Internationalisation – Practical Solutions: A Trans-Tasman workout.” Keynote speakers include Pansy Wong, MP, Professor Colleen Ward, Victoria University Centre for Cross-cultural Research, Mary Anne Grant, President of the International Student Exchange Program, United States of America, Associate Professor Betty Leask, University of Adelaide, Akshay Saraf, National Liaison Committee for International Students in Australia.

The conference website is www.cdesign.com.au/isana05

ENDS

© Scoop Media