News and Opportunities
Austrade update 21 March 2012
21 Mar 2012
Austrade Update provides news about recent Austrade activities of interest to the education sector.
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Australian Education Excellence Showcase Sri Lanka
Austrade, with the support of the Australian High Commission and Australian Education International (AEI) staged the Australian Education Excellence Showcase 2012 in Colombo on 25 February 2012 at the Taj Samudra Hotel.
The showcase provided an opportunity for participating institutions to talk to students about education opportunities in Australia, ranging from undergraduate and vocational programs to postgraduate masters, research and doctorate programs. About 20 institutions from Australia participated in the showcase.
Speaking about the event, Acting High Commissioner, Sonya Koppe, said Australia and Sri Lanka have shared extensive bilateral relations over many decades. The modern bonds the two countries have built are the sum of many parts, and include a history of partnership in areas such as migration, education, trade and investment, people-to-people links and development cooperation. Australia has been a development partner from the time of Sri Lankan independence in 1948 and remains committed to contributing to the economic and social development of Sri Lanka, including through strengthening education links between the two countries.
Austrade’s Trade Commissioner, Tom Calder, stated that Austrade took pleasure in partnering with Australian institutions to give prospective Sri Lankan students and their families an opportunity to look closely at future education prospects in Australia. He said that this initiative aims to grow the education partnership between Australia and Sri Lanka, as well as helping to support skills development for the Sri Lankan economy and society.
TESOL alumni facilitate English classes in Hanoi during Australia Week
Austrade and the Vietnamese Graduates of Australia Club (VGAC) co-organised a recent series of English classes at four selected universities in Hanoi. The English classes aimed to showcase best practice Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) methodology from Australia by utilising Vietnamese TESOL teachers who have studied in Australia, to deliver classes to Vietnamese university students.
The classes were well attended and feedback was positive, with many students indicating they had a better understanding of the communicative teaching methods practiced in Australia. The alumni instructors introduced several practical ways of learning and improving English speaking skills by highlighting many commonly made mistakes.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) followed the English classes with a cultural session. This year the culture session featured a viewing of the Australian movie Bran Nue Dae and a performance by Australian jazz group, Vision of a Nomad.
This integration of English lessons and cultural activity proved a powerful way to promote not only education, but also Australian culture. The Australia Week event drew an estimated 2000 students.
The success of the English class is evidence of how alumni can be engaged as ambassadors for Australian education. Austrade will continue to organise similar whole-of-government activities, particularly during celebrations of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Australia and Vietnam in 2013.
Institutions with key alumni working in Vietnam and who are willing to collaborate on any future alumni engagement activities with potential students should contact Ms Diep Nguyen, Education Manager, Austrade Hanoi.
Students attend an English class in Hanoi, Vietnam.