World class education in Austrailia

Australia is recognized as a great place to live - but did you know Australia also offers a world class education? The Australian education system has produced scientists, designers, educators, entrepreneurs, artists and humanitarians who have changed the world, winning awards from Oscars to Nobel prizes. Their global achievements include the "black box" now on every airplane, the Earth hour initiative, and the invention of Wi-Fi. Australia is proud of the individuals who have studied and worked in Australia (whether they were born here or another country) and gone on to achieve great things and contribute to making the world a better place.

Global Recognition

By studying in Australia, you will receive a qualification that's recognised and sought after around the world. The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) allows students to easily move through the education system here and provides an easy way for countries around the world to recognise your qualification, and issue the comparable qualifications for local use. Visit the AQF website for more information.

Quality Assurance

For over 20 years Australia has led the world in putting in place systems and processes to ensure that international students receive the high quality education they expect. These measures include:

• The Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000, which sets out the legal framework governing delivery of education to overseas students studying in Australia on a student visa.
• The Tuition Protection Service, which helps you find an alternative course or refund your unspent tuition fees in the rare case that your institution (education provider) can't continue to offer your course.
• The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) is the national regulator for Australia’s vocational education and training sector. ASQA regulates courses and training providers to ensure nationally approved quality standards are met.
• The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) regulates and assures the quality of Australia’s higher education sector. It undertakes both compliance assessments and quality assessments.
• Ombudsman organisations that can investigate complaints about problems that international students have with their institutions. You can find out more about these organisations on the Support Services page in the Australian Education section of this website.

International students rate Australia highly

In 2012, the Australian Government, in collaboration with peak education bodies and state/territory government education departments, conducted a survey of current international students to obtain information about their living and learning experience in Australia. The key findings of the survey included:

• 87% of international student respondents are ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with their overall experience in Australia.
• 86% of international student respondents are ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with their study experience in Australia.
• 88% of international student respondents are ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with living in Australia.

Your learning environment

By choosing to study in Australia, you will join hundreds of thousands of students from Australian and all over the world - including many from your home country - who are discovering new friends and opportunities in this beautiful country. You will work closely with classmates, researchers, instructors, and other faculty - collaboration is a key part of our students' successes. And in many cases you can gain practical and hands-on training in the industry in which you are studying. This combination of teamwork, shared learning, and industry focus will provide you with a leading edge for your further studies and career.

Australia – a research intensive country

Australia has a long and proud tradition of world class research and development that has benefited millions around the world. From the discovery of penicillin in 1945 and the discovery of acquired immunological tolerance in 1960, through to observations which led to the discovery of the accelerating Universe in 2011. Australia has a proud record of contributing to the benefits of the world:

• Through the Backing Australia's Ability initiative, A$2.9 billion will be invested over the next five years to fund research that will stimulate economic and scientific innovation.
• Australia is investing over A$140 million will be spent over the next five years to establish Federation Fellowships. The fellowships aim to recruit world-class researchers to Australia, with up to five of the fellowships each year awarded to high-profile non-Australian researchers from overseas.
• There are 35 special Research Centres and Key Centres of Teaching and Research based at Australian universities undertaking high-level research, and providing a diverse range of undergraduate, postgraduate and specialised professional education courses in a variety of fields.
• Australia has established an additional 63 Cooperative Research Centres which foster joint research between universities and private industry.

With about 50,000 people in higher education organisations involved in R&D, Australia has a strong research and development (R&D) capabilities. The world famous Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), the biggest government R&D agency in Australia, is one of the world’s largest and most diverse research institutions. It’s is involved in more than 740 research activities with scientific organisations and agencies in more than 80 countries and undertakes research in fields such as health, agribusiness, information technology, manufacturing, sustainable energy, mining and minerals, space, the environment and natural resources.