The "blueprint for change" for higher education in Australia advocates for more balanced and diversified international enrollment: 

The Australian Department of Education released the Australian Universities Accord Final Report on February 25, 2024, following just over a year of review and comment, 820 written submissions, 180 meetings, and a contentious interim report in July 2023.

Comprising almost 400 pages, the report is considered a blueprint that will direct changes in the nation's higher education system for years to come. The report's ambitious scope predicts the biggest changes to Australian higher education in a generation, as several commentators have noted. Minister of Education Jason Clare stated, "This is a blueprint for the next decade and beyond, not just for one budget."

The Accord's broad breadth is indicated by the way it is framed; it addresses a wide range of topics, including research, teaching, housing, student services, international education, and student fees and funding.

The paper advocates for a major expansion of higher education in Australia in the broadest sense. It establishes several high-level goals in accordance with the prediction that by 2035, 90% of new employment will require post-secondary credentials, such as that:

It is expected that this significant growth in post-secondary education will be partially financed by the government and partially by the universities themselves, utilizing their "untied" income streams from philanthropic gifts, research grants, and tuition from outside students.

How does the worldwide situation look?

 
Readers of ICEF Monitor might want to jump straight to page 182 of the report for a summary of its conclusions about international education. At that point, the paper immediately addresses the issue of diversity and scale, outlining that:

The size of the cohorts of international students at Australian universities and the possibility that high concentrations could impact the experiences of both domestic and international students have been hot topics of discussion. For instance, in 2022, the percentage of overseas students at the University of Sydney (47.5%), Monash University (42.7%), and RMIT University (45.0%) exceeded 40% of all students enrolled.It is evident that when sizable cohorts are concentrated in specific classes, programs, or providers, the social license to conduct international education may become difficult to maintain, particularly if little is done to guarantee integration across several cohorts."

The Accord makes a number of suggestions about internationalization in Australian higher education, including that institutions and the government work together to:

Ensure that the courses marketed to foreign students are in line with the needs of the domestic labor market and "relevant migration initiatives";
"Support diversification of international student markets within a national strategic framework"; "Extend international enrolments beyond Australia's major cities";
For example, "ensure that trust and integrity within the Australian visa system is maintained, in line with agreed recommendations from the Nixon Review and the Migration Strategy"; "ensure that providers have appropriate risk management strategies for international education"; and "strengthen alumni networks in the countries of origin of students.

The final piece of advice focuses on risk management techniques that help Australian universities and colleges better control the fluctuations in foreign student enrollment, lessen the concentration of foreign students in particular academic programs or institutions, and guarantee that students have access to reasonably priced housing.

What became of the fee charge for overseas students?

More than seventy "spiky" policy suggestions, including a surcharge to be imposed on international student fees, were up for discussion in the interim report released in July 2023. The final Accord Report significantly omits that concept and instead recommends creating an AUS$10 billion Higher Education Future Fund (HEFF). According to the Accord, universities and the government would split the cost of the HEFF, with institutions contributing through "universities' 

The funding proposal obviously anticipates a major contribution from institutions' non-government revenue, even if it isn't directly linked to overseas tuition revenues. This is one recommendation that is guaranteed to spark a lot of discussion. "Taxing universities as they recover from pandemic-induced deficits will take away the money they are investing in education and student experience, creating new knowledge, driving innovation, and providing opportunities and support to underrepresented cohorts of students," stated Duncan Maskell, vice-chancellor of the University of Melbourne, among other industry leaders who have already voiced their opinions. In summary, a new university tax will reduce Australia's capacity for innovation, prosperity, and productivity both now and in the future."

Vice-Chancellor Mark Scott of the University of Sydney continues, "It is bewildering that the only revenue-raising measure proposed is a tax on universities themselves." "To be clear, the Australian government's proportionate contribution to university operations has drastically fallen over the past few decades, forcing institutions to rely on income from international student fees to conduct research that could save and save lives.The idea that taxing the programs that have been utilized to support the underfunding is a strange method to improve a system of higher education that has been chronically underfunded."

Please visit this special page created by the Department of Education for additional information about the Accord process and the reports that came from it.

For more context, have a look at:

"Australia: Visa approval rates declining for some students as new immigration settings take effect"
"Australia: New Migration Strategy ushers in tougher requirements for international students"
"Australia: Parliamentary report recommends diversification and expanded regulation of agents"

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