Steve Dimopoulos on Victoria’s International Education Strategy

In this special edition of Global Horizons, Dirk Mulder sits down with Victorian Minister Steve Dimopoulos following the launch of Victoria’s refreshed International Education Strategy.Recorded at the Study Melbourne Hub in Hardware Lane, the conversation focuses on why international education matters so deeply to Victoria — not just as a major export, but as a source of jobs, global connections, innovation and long-term community impact.Minister Dimopoulos explains that Victoria is putting international students at the centre of its strategy, with a strong focus on student experience, welfare support, offshore study opportunities, and the role international students play in Victoria’s economy and society.The conversation also explores what makes Melbourne and Victoria distinctive: the culture, the events, the student support, the openness to the world, and the sense that international students are not just numbers in a system, but people whose families have trusted Australia to look after them.In this episode, we cover:✅ Victoria’s refreshed International Education Strategy✅ The role of the Study Melbourne Hub✅ Why student experience matters so much✅ International education’s value to Victoria’s economy✅ Victoria’s focus on offshore and transnational education✅ Why Melbourne wants international students to feel safe, connected and heardThis is a short, focused conversation about a state that is clearly backing international education and making the case for why international students matter.Global Horizons is a production of The Global Society, Australia’s Learning Abroad support company. Our editor is Len Zamora and our distribution specialist is Gelo Ablao. Rob Malicki is the executive editor and host. The podcast wouldn’t be possible without The Koala News, Australia’s international education news website. This episode is supported by Choosing Your Uni, Australia’s unique, AI-powered platform that helps domestic and international students to find the right institution for them, and that helps Australian institutions to access new markets. Global Horizons is the official podcast of the Australian International Education Conference. Registrations are open now: https://aiec.idp.com