Study destination Gold Coast
Last December, Study Gold Coast invited a group of 15 delegates from India, including EducationWorld’s Mumbai correspondent Dipta Joshi, to acquaint them with the state-of-the-art campuses, aims and objectives, impressive curriculums, infrastructure and student body diversity of the city’s three show-piece universities A sombre geo-political climate sparked by tightening visa policies, limited jobs market, the rupee’s depreciation against the dollar which has raised price of higher education in the US and Britain’s sudden pull-out from Brexit among other phenomena, is prompting Indian students aspiring for international qualifications to enroll in Australian universities which according to all indicators, offer as good quality education in equally, if not more, salubrious and multicultural environments at substantially lower prices. For instance, annual tuition-cum-residence fees in Australian universities is in the range of AUD 60,000-62,000 (Rs.30-31 lakh) cf. Cornell University, USA’s $73,000 (Rs.52 lakh). Although Australia has six universities ranked in the Top 100 WUR (World University Rankings) league table of Times Higher Education in 2019 — University of Melbourne (#32), Australian National University (49), Sydney (59), Queensland (69), Monash (84) and University of New South Wales (96) — Indian students tend to sign up with lesser-known universities in cities boasting fast-paced lifestyles and high entrepreneurial drive. In particular, Australia’s Gold Coast — a city (pop. 638,090) which offers three research-intensive universities, i.e, Griffith (estb.1975), Bond (1987) and Southern Cross (1994) — has attracted an estimated 1,497 of the 68,404 Indian students enrolled in higher ed institutions Down Under. With the hitherto low-profile higher education institutions of the southern hemisphere having begun to challenge their much-lauded counterparts in the UK and US, in early December 2018, Study Gold Coast (estb.2008) — an initiative of the city council to increase international student enrolments — invited a group of 15 delegates including journalists, from India to acquaint them with the state-of-the-art campuses, aims and objectives, impressive curriculums, infrastructure and student body diversity of its show-piece universities. By virtue of being promoted by the municipal council, Study Gold Coast encourages strong linkages between academia and local industry and business. “The Gold Coast is a dynamic, entrepreneurial and growing city offering world-class education institutions and training facilities, with a community of professionals committed to transforming today’s students into tomorrow’s leaders. The city accepts, nurtures and embraces a diverse student community — opening its arms to people from all around the world and providing a safe and nurturing environment,” says Alfred Slogrove, CEO, Study Gold Coast. Gold Coast. An hour’s drive from Brisbane, the administrative capital of Queensland state, Gold Coast — the venue of the spectacular 21st Commonwealth Games staged last April — is Australia’s sixth-largest city and Queensland’s second largest. With a robust economy valued at AUD 31 billion (Rs.156,989 crore), Gold Coast is steadily transforming from a tourist into an education destination. Widely known for its surfing-friendly beaches, high-rise buildings, theme parks, nightlife and rainforest hinterland, Gold Coast attracts 13 million tourists annually and hosts over 30,000 students from 130 countries around the world. The city offers…
