Resilient Recovery in Australia’s Learning Abroad Sector

CISaustralia specialises in study, inter, and volunteer abroad programs, recently unveiled the results of its sixth survey on the state of Australia’s learning abroad industry in October. Out of the 37 educational institutions that participated in the survey, nine indicated plans to send more than 1,000 students abroad in 2024, while three institutions expressed their intention to send over 4,000 students.

CEO of CISaustralia, Brad Dorahy, said, “The learning abroad sector in Australia continues to rebound successfully post-COVID. This is despite headwinds associated with staff layoffs, restructures, and change management processes that have occurred in the last three to four years.”

As per the Australia student news, the survey revealed that study tours are expected to be the most popular learning abroad program in 2024, with 86% of respondents mentioning it and 59% considering it a crucial part of their offerings. As per the report, the main factor limiting institutional study abroad enrollments in 2023 is the limited interest, engagement, and availability of academic staff. However, the good news is that 62% of Australian universities plan to hire more staff in the learning abroad sector in the next 12 months, indicating a strong recovery trend.

Europe remains the most popular destination for learning abroad programs by continent, with 97% of institutions favouring it, followed by Asia at 81%, as per the Australia abroad program news news. The New Colombo Plan mobility program, which provides funding for some study abroad Australia programs, is highly popular among institutions, with Japan being the preferred destination for 80% of universities. However, the funding system is under scrutiny, as 76% of surveyed institutions feel that it has not kept pace with inflation and advocate for an increase of AU$500 to AU$1,000.

Interestingly, the environment appears to have little to no impact on the choice of destination for three-quarters of students from these institutions. Furthermore, there is a noticeable shift away from virtual programs and fairs, with 78% planning to hold on-campus study abroad fairs in the first half of 2024, compared to 2023 data, and 92% deciding not to hold virtual fairs in 2024. This could suggest a departure from the pandemic-era trend. Nevertheless, 54% of respondents still plan to offer virtual mobility programs in the coming year.

In a positive trend, only 3% of universities expressed that they would not be promoting learning abroad programs in the upcoming year, indicating a significant reduction compared to the previous year’s data.