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Study Australia Education Fairs in South Korea and Japan - registrations now open!

Prior to COVID-19, Austrade's annual face-to-face education fairs in Northeast Asia were the flagship Australian education promotion events in the region. They raised awareness and interest in Australian study options among potential students and their parents.

While travel restrictions in 2021 and 2022 led to successful virtual study fairs being organised instead, Austrade teams in South Korea and Japan will organise face-to-face education fairs again in May 2023.

Fair schedule

Study Australia Education Fair – Korea

Date: Saturday 20 May 2023

Location: COEX, Seoul

Study Australia Education Fair – Japan

Dates:

Saturday 27 May 2023 – all sectors except Schools

Sunday 28 May 2023 – Schools sector

Location: EbiS303, Tokyo

Austrade will focus on attracting quality students to the fairs who EW interested in studying in Australia across the various sub-sectors of participating institutions. Austrade will do this via dedicated marketing and promotional activities.

In addition, the face-to-face fairs will be complemented by a ‘virtual platform’ where students and their parents will be encouraged to research and gather information on the participating institutions prior to meeting representatives face-to-face. Students and parents in South Korea, Japan and Mongolia unable to travel to Seoul or Tokyo for the in-person events will also be invited to view the virtual platform to learn more about Australian study options. 

B2B events in Seoul and Tokyo are also being planned around the face-to-face fairs to provide further opportunities for Australian institutions to engage with the markets. Further details about these events will be sent to institutions closer to the date.

Market insights

South Korea

  • South Korea is the 12th largest source country overall for Australia’s international education sector. As such, Korea is an important market for Australian education providers looking at diversifying their international footprint. While Korea is a top 5 source country for the Schools sector and a well-established VET market, there has been strong resilience in higher education enrolments from Korea during the pandemic.
  • Australia is the second preferred study destination for Koreans amongst English speaking countries after the US, and the third overall after China and the US. Compared to the US and the UK, Australia is regarded as a safe and affordable country that offers internships and work opportunities for students. The simplified visa application process also boosts Australia’s popularity.
  • Key drivers for Korean students to choose Australia include the opportunity for them to up-skill as they prepare to enter the competitive Korean job market, as well as interest in the Post Study Work Visa to gain work experience.

Japan

  • Japan is a top 10 source market for the Schools, ELICOS and Non-Award sectors. Prior to COVID, just under half of all Japanese student visa holders were studying in the ELICOS sector, making it Australia’s 5th largest source market.
  • Higher education has also been experiencing growing demand, particularly at the Bachelor level. Higher education enrolments experienced four years of consecutive growth prior to COVID. Year to date (YTD) October 2022 higher education enrolments are now 13% higher than pre-COVID levels for the same period.
  • The Japanese government has resumed offering scholarships to Japanese students wishing to study overseas. It is expected that short-term ELICOS and study tour students will increase from 2023 onwards.
  • A key driver for study abroad is the push by the Japanese Government to augment English language education in schools and universities. This is because employers demand stronger language skills amongst new recruits. A new unified university entrance exam commenced from 2021 with a focus on high school students’ comprehensive English ability in all four skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening). English has also recently become a compulsory subject at elementary schools. The trend towards a stronger emphasis on active English skills will continue.

Register your interest for the Fairs

Study Australia Fair - South Korea

Study Australia Fair - Japan

Applications close on 7 April 2023.

Contact

If you have any questions about these Fairs, please contact:

Emily Chung, Austrade South Korea

Saori Tominaga, Austrade Japan