Australia Has Always Been Safe For International Students, Affirms Prof. Leung Of Macquarie University

Recently launched an online MBA, Macquarie University in Australia aims to bring about a change in learning and preparing students for future through technology aided learning and partnering with other learning ventures. 

Professor Philomena Leung, Associate Dean International Faculty of Business and Economics, Macquarie University Australia talks about education in Australia, Indian students and integrating students for better diversity. 

Universities became a brand due to the quality of education they impart. But today universities and educational institutions are becoming a ‘brand’ by employing marketing money. Your comments.

We understand there is a lot of investment by universities in India. We recognize the importance of India in the growth of higher education and the mission of Macquarie University in which we create and share knowledge to address economic and societal challenges, internationally. There are a lot of synergies between Macquarie University Faculty of Business and Economics and our partners in India. These are in the areas of development economics, health, management, and analytics, together with the strong foundation for cybersecurity. We are willing to employ marketing money in areas where there are benefits for all parties, complementary strengths to address markets in India and in Australia.

How to create students who are skilled enough to be employed?

Macquarie University continuously develops innovative methodologies in learning and teaching, and also in the development of creativity in our students. This is in our mission. We include not only internships, but also strong connections with industry, and problem-solving skills projects in our business innovation program.

What skills do you prepare the students for them to be employable? 

Communication, problem-solving, managing uncertainty, creativity, application skills for technology, and strong awareness of the needs of society and markets.

How do you integrate students coming in from different backgrounds? How does diversity help an educational institution in improving ideas and research? 

All of our programs do not differentiate local or international students. We are a member of PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education) and we provide a large number of socially and culturally diverse activities on campus and within the curriculum. Internationalization of contents is a required element of our curriculum so that cultural awareness is built in. For research, a large number of our researchers not only work with international partners, but they also research in global comparative studies to further develop their ideas for research on a global scale. Our staff is international so that a large cohort of the staff are from different backgrounds.

Do you believe Macquarie University can break into top MBA destinations across the globe?

The Macquarie Graduate School of Management (MGSM) MBA has been consistently ranked amongst the top 50 in the Financial Times Rankings. We are already a top MBA choice for prospective students.

Is Australia trying to regain its image of a safe education destination for Indian students? Can Australia become a global education hub in the near future?  

Australia has always been a safe country for international students. It has seen a small share of controversies but by and large, it is a safe study destination. Compared to most of the western developed countries, the incidents of violence or crimes against students are a rare occurrence and Australia is an inclusive society.

A large proportion of Australian Universities are included in the 2019 edition of the QS World University Rankings, including 15 in the global top 250. Macquarie itself is ranked in top 1 percent of world universities by QS World University Rankings, 2019. More than half a million foreign students have enrolled in Australian institutions in 2018.

Student welfare at Macquarie:

Macquarie University takes pride in its diverse student body of 40,000 students from over 100 countries. The students have access to over 130 social clubs. Current Macquarie University Students (both international and domestic students) volunteer to support new students (mainly international) through various social activities including the International Social Program and the Macquarie University Buddy Program which provides students with support and a point of contact to assist their transition into Macquarie University.

Rajguru Tandon

BW Reporters The author is a correspondent with BW Businessworld with keen interest in HR and employee welfare.