The City of Melbourne’s Office of Knowledge Capital was set up to enhance Melbourne’s status as a knowledge capital and better promote the overseas study experience in Australia writes Sophie Loras.

Since its establishment in July 2008, one of the strategic objectives of the Office of Knowledge Capital – a collaboration between the City of Melbourne, the Committee for Melbourne and eight universities in metropolitan Melbourne – has been to assist Victorian universities establish stronger links and partnerships with overseas universities, including China. “Everyone thinks they are an expert on China and like to do it themselves,” says the OKC’s executive director David Campbell, resulting in what he calls a ‘somewhat hit and miss’ approach to Australia’s biggest international education market.

"So in this context the OKC is more about promoting together what Melbourne has to offer and assisting how our university sector overall connects with China.” The OKC is building on Melbourne’s sister city relationship with Tianjin as the basis for several Chinese initiatives. But in Australia the OKC has already begun implementing programs to enhance the international student experience in Victoria to maintain the competiveness and sustainability of the State’s education sector.

Education in Victoria is big business. Annual earnings from Victoria’s education sector contribute in excess of A$4 billion to the State’s economy. Education related travel is Victoria’s leading export industry – earning $3.54 billion in 2006-2007. Despite attracting a record 161,000 international students in 2008 – up 29,000 on 2007 figures, research has shown that the international student experience of study in Melbourne is still mixed.

"Market research shows that the underlying reasons students choose to study in Melbourne depends on how well they will fit into the Melbourne scene and associated health, housing and security issues,” says Campbell. As a result, one of the OKC’s first initiatives has been its Connect-ED program. Research conducted by the Connect-ED team (an initiative with the Committee for Melbourne) found several areas where international students complained about their Melbourne study experience. These included a lack of access to information about living and studying in Melbourne; difficulties in settling in on arrival; and ongoing issues living in Melbourne.

As a result, Connect-ED co-ordinated a five-day welcoming program at Melbourne’s Tullamarine airport, greeting almost 5000 international students during the peak arrival week in mid- February. It was the first time international students were welcomed by their host city and state as a whole, rather than individual organisations and institutions. Students were issued with information on studying and living in Melbourne and Victoria, information on employment, accommodation and social integration, and were invited to take part in a six-month follow up study to monitor and provide additional information during their settling in progress.

The pilot program will help the OKC learn more about the needs of international students studying in Melbourne and have ongoing contact with them. “It’s all about ensuring our international students have a positive Melbourne experience that adds more to their stay in our city than just their studies,” says David Campbell. ■

Melbourne Mayor, Robert Doyle, meeting international students at Melbourne Airport in February.
2. A Connect-ED representative assists a new international student arriving in Melbourne.