August 4, 2025
The Group of Eight (Go8), comprising Australia's research-intensive universities supports the Albanese Government's efforts to improve the quality and integrity of Australia's international education sector.
Group of Eight Chief Executive Vicki Thomson said:
"A strong international education sector brings multiple benefits to Australia and is clearly in the national interest.
"A National Planning Level that provides stability and certainty for the sector is vital to ensure Australia can continue to attract high quality international students to provide much needed talent in areas such as engineering and STEM.
"International students not only provide the high-level skills needed by Australian industry, they underpin our strategic partnerships and build our soft diplomacy capacity around the globe and importantly in the ASEAN region. Go8 universities already enrol more than one third of all ASEAN students studying in Australia.
"In the current geopolitical environment, it has never been more important to strengthen our links with partners around the world but especially within Southeast Asia.
"A strong international education sector is also critical to our capacity to generate the research that drives Australia's innovation and productivity.
"The Go8 supports managed growth that is founded on integrity and quality, and we are committed to working with the government to ensure the right policy mix so that our international education sector continues to make a major contribution to our economy and society in future".
