Export award highlights impact of international education

The University of Adelaide’s reputation for international education has received a major boost, with the University winning a 2019 Australian Export Award.

The University of Adelaide won the International Education and Training Award at the 57th Australian Export Awards, ahead of six other finalists from around the nation.

The award was presented at a ceremony at Parliament House, Canberra, involving the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Senator The Hon. Simon Birmingham.

“Our national Export Award is excellent news for the State and the City of Adelaide, as it recognises our University’s global standing as a provider of quality education and research,” says the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Pascale Quester.

“This award celebrates years of success at the University of Adelaide in the education and training of international students – success that we have been building on in recent years.

“At a time of increasing global competition among universities, the University of Adelaide’s global reputation has been rising. This helps to demonstrate the high regard that a degree from our University holds anywhere in the world.”

This year, international students account for 31% of the University of Adelaide’s overall student body of 28,000.

Professor Quester says international education provides a range of benefits, including economic, social and cultural.

“We are helping to create a vibrant, globally connected university city, enlivening our community with an exchange of culture and ideas, and enhancing the global connectivity of the city and the State,” Professor Quester says.

“By being successful in international education, we not only contribute to the State and the nation’s export success, we enrich the educational experience of our local students, who gain from interacting with their peers from across the world.”

The University’s new strategic plan, Future Making, has challenged the institution to be the truly global 21st century university for South Australia. This plan involves forging deeper connections to the ‘global world of ideas’, and bringing the world’s ‘top talent’ to Adelaide.

“Winning the national Export Award is great recognition of the work we have done, and helps us to understand that we are on a path to further success,” Professor Quester says.