News and Opportunities
Australian education seminar held at Yeosu World Expo
18 Jul 2012
In coordination with the Korea Association of Deans of International Affairs (KADIA), Austrade held an Australian education competitiveness seminar to promote Australian education at the World Expo held in Yeosu in May.
The object of the seminar was to showcase Australian education capabilities and excellence to Korean academics and professors.
KADIA members are key decision makers in Korea for international education links and overseas student exchange programs. KADIA has a total membership of 150 deans, including all major Korean universities. These members often make the final decision on suitable exchange locations and sister relationships with foreign universities. KADIA has expressed a strong interest in learning more about Australian education capabilities and actively encouraged its members to visit the seminar and the Yeosu World Expo.
Fifty deans from various parts of Korea gathered in Yeosu to attend the seminar. Before the seminar, the deans enjoyed a tour of the Australian pavilion and a special welcome by Kevin Nixon, Commissioner for the Australian Pavilion. The seminar comprised two parts: a panel discussion regarding the competitiveness of Australian education (including five Australian academics currently teaching in Korean universities), and a discussion of three case studies regarding current transnational education programs between Australian and Korean universities, presented by Yonsei University, Sogang University and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).
The deans observed that Australia still is one of the most popular and preferred study destinations for Korean students despite the high Australian dollar, and expressed enthusiasm for collaborating even more actively with Australian universities in the future.
Mr Martin Walsh, former Senior Trade Commissioner Seoul; Prof Elias Sanidas, Seoul National University; Prof Bob McKay, Seoul National University; Prof Heejin Lee, Yonsei University; and Mr Jason Lawrence, KAIST, engage in a panel discussion at the Education Competitiveness Seminar at the Yeosu World Expo in Korea.