Remya is currently leading the International Education & Training for Study Queensland, the specific arm of Trade & Investment Queensland which exclusively looks at education and training in South Asia for the last 3 years. She has been actively assisting Queensland institutions in finding meaningful partnerships in India and also with their market engagements in India. She has 15+ years of experience in trade and investment, helping Indian companies expand their operations to countries like the UK and Germany. Prior to joining Queensland Trade and Investment, she has worked with the British High Commission as Head of Inward Investment and with Invest in Bavaria, Germany as their Project Manager.
The relationship between India and Australia is stronger and deeper than ever before with the interim signing of Free Trade agreement between the two countries. India is Australia’s seventh-largest trading partner & sixth-largest export market in 2020, driven by coal and international education. It is one of the most multicultural countries in the world, famous for its natural wonders and wide-open spaces, its beaches, deserts, “the bush”, and “the Outback” that attracts students from across the globe. In fact, the Australian education system ranks third worldwide, having 5 out of 30 best student cities.
Besides, institutes of Australia are highly ranked among the global universities with a strong emphasis on quality education, student satisfaction and employability. Australian cities like Melbourne and Sydney have always been popular with Indian students. Over a period, cities like Brisbane, Gold Coast, Cairns and Townville in Queensland have also gained recognition and are becoming the fastest developing student cities.
There are many factors that have helped Queensland emerge as a preferred study destination.
Government Assistance: Queensland government is committed in making the state as a place for industry to collaborate with entrepreneurs, universities, businesses and government to turn great ideas into commercial products and jobs creation. Queensland Government has invested $755 million in the future of Queensland, supporting growth, innovation, and research development across several key industries. It is driving innovation-led economic growth through increased collaboration between government, industry, and research organizations, locally and internationally to build on the state’s competitive strengths, diversify the economy and create knowledge-based jobs of the future for international students mainly. The government is also investing heavily to develop sectors like Advanced manufacturing, biomedicine, Advanced agriculture, Green Hydrogen in bio-futures, Critical minerals, clean energy, Electric vehicles, smart mining, and next-gen Aerospace. These initiatives will create a strong industry focused economy there by leading to large scale employment opportunities.
Leading Research Institutes: Queensland hosts many of the nation’s leading research-intensive large universities with an excellent environment of research opportunities, strong industry connections and a favorable start-up ecosystem. It is interesting to note that unlike India, Australian Universities have a comprehensive ecosystem of innovation labs, start-up launch pads, incubators, research & development, Centers of excellence, etc. all situated within the Universities. So, Universities are not just academic spaces, but a confluence of multiple segments that creates the entire ecosystem. For Eg: The University of Queensland hosts Queensland Brain Institute, Griffith University hosts Australian Rivers Institute, James Cook University hosts the Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicines, Central Queensland University hosts Coastal Marine Ecosystem Research Centre and University of Southern Queensland hosts the Institute of Advanced Engineering and Space Sciences to name a few. Notable research from these universities includes pioneering the invention of the HPV vaccine that prevents cervical cancer (The University of Queensland) and The world-leading malaria vaccine—PlasProtecTTM— which is now at the human-trial stage (Griffith University)
Quality Lifestyle: Talking about life in Queensland, it is a perfect blend of city life and cozy city outskirts that one gets to experience, one can choose to live in a major city, a beach town, or even in the outback. The temperature and environment of Queensland are quite a similar then that of India is an annual average of 30 degrees. Queensland also has easily accessible public transportation facilities like Bus Queensland which connects each city of Queensland with one another. Other than that, there are ferries and train which is whole together with a different experience and amazing vibe as compared to India. Talking about cities Brisbane is ranked in the top 20 best student cities globally. It is home to three major universities and nearly 100,000 students who can enjoy a cosmopolitan lifestyle.
Employability Initiatives: Employability initiatives become the core of student life right from the support offered by government to the institution. The Study Queensland has many initiatives like Study Queensland Talent Program, which is Australia’s one of the largest student employability initiatives focused on developing students’ employability skills and connecting them with alumni and employers. The program is run by the Queensland Government and provides endless opportunities to make connections and gain the skills, knowledge and experiences that lead to global careers. Study Queensland works with student hubs in Cairns, Gold Coast and Brisbane to deliver professional development workshops and expose students to various opportunities to build their confidence, skill set and job readiness. At the institution level, all Universities have their customized initiatives which helps students to develop and nurture relevant employability skills in a comprehensive manner.
Student Support Cell: Queensland has a dedicated portal for student assistance and 24-hour hotline support called 1800QSTUDY (1800 778 839). Their services include connection to local events and social activities, orientation to Australia and accommodation advice, career pathways advice, cultural and religious support, individual assistance relating to mental health and wellbeing, safety and security support, referrals to financial and legal support, work experience and employment advice, volunteering opportunities and English language support.
Brisbane Olympics 2032: The declaration of Brisbane as the host city for Olympics 2032 is a game changer for Queensland that would greatly support Brisbane and other regional locations in Queensland by stimulating economic recovery and creating thousands of jobs in the state. Brisbane 2032 will create a 20-year pipeline of opportunities for Queensland businesses to take part in exciting projects, create valuable new partnerships and supply chains, and develop their business capability, which in terms will create more and more opportunities and employability for international students.
With such an excellent ecosystem and bright opportunities, Queensland becomes a preferred destination which nurtures talent to build innovation and boost global careers. It provides world-class education that are spread across diverse locations ranging from bustling cities to quiet and cozy towns with an array of choices in various sectors providing global experience. There is no better time than now to be in Queensland. As we say “Start here, Go anywhere” You are bound to be successful!