‘Huge potential’ to boost education ties with South Korea
There is “huge unrealised potential” to expand Australia’s education links with Korea according to a new report from the Australia-Korea Business Council.
The report, Bridges to the Future, points to the factors which bolster the relationship including the popularity of Korean culture in Australia and that fact that South Koreans place high value on education and demonstrate willingness to send children overseas to be educated.
However numbers of Korean students in Australia have fallen in recent years. From being the fifth largest source country for international students in Australia six years ago, the country has now slipped to 13th.
University of Newcastle deputy vice-chancellor (global) Kent Anderson, who is chair of the AKBC education subcommittee, said the paper identified ways to leverage Australia’s strong existing links with South Korea to expand education ties.
He said that the new Colombo Plan, as well as internships and work placements, could be used to give Australia students the opportunity to study in Korea.
Currently vocational and school education in Australia is popular with Koreans and Professor Anderson said this could be used as an “anchor” to build student numbers in higher education. He said the large numbers of Koreans living in Australia was also an advantage in expanding research ties between Australian and Korean universities.