Important Changes to the New Colombo Plan (with Kent Anderson)

There's been a lot of talk this year about the Government's failure to meaningfully consult on international education policy.  Whilst the major focus, particularly this week, has been on the ESOS senate hearings, and the cap on international students, important changes have also been announced to another critical international education program. The New Colombo Plan (universally known as the "NCP") is Australia's equivalent of the Fulbright program. It is a triumph of bipartisan public policy that has assisted tens of thousands of Australian university students in having international study experiences in the Indo-Pacific region since 2013. It is one of Australia's most important soft diplomacy initiatives.  So it was a shock to institutions attending IEAA's Learning Abroad forum last week when major changes were announced to the NCP for the 2025 round of the program... with absolutely no consultation. One specialist was heard to remark that it was one of the "most egregious examples of a failure to consult in Australian international education history", and the sentiment amongst practitioners ranged from shock, to sadness, to anger.  In this episode of Global Horizons, Rob Malicki is joined by Professor Kent Anderson, the DVC Global at the University of Newcastle. Together they dive into:  What the NCP is and why it's such a critical part of Australia's international education landscape. The changes to the NCP program, both positive and negative, and what they mean for students and institutions A critical look at what this means for Australia's soft diplomacy Both Rob and Kent served on the original design committee for the NCP, and went on to serve on the official Government Reference Group for 6 years. They've both closely observed the NCP at every stage of its evolution and ask the question: are the announced changes really negative, or is it really the failure to consult that may have significant "unintended consequences".  If you really want to understand the breadth of Australian international education, this is a great episode for you! Global Horizons is a production of ⁠The Global Society⁠, Australia's Learning Abroad Support Company.  We are incredibly proud to be the ⁠⁠OFFICIAL podcast of the AIEC Australian International Education Conference... registrations are open now⁠⁠! And for all the breaking international education news, make sure you subscribe to ⁠The Koala News.