Global Horizons - The Australian International Education Podcast

In this episode of Global Horizons, Rob Malicki sits down with AIEC conference organiser Catania Aviles for a behind-the-scenes look at the 40th Australian International Education Conference in Sydney.
With just a few weeks to go, Catania shares what it takes to bring a major sector event together, from signage and sponsor logistics to the expo hall, delegate experience and the final details that make AIEC work.
This year’s conference is a major milestone, marking 40 years of AIEC. Rob and Catania discuss the special anniversary elements, including the AIEC Museum, a 40th anniversary panel featuring people connected to the history and future of the conference, and a conference-wide celebration of international education.
In this episode, we cover:
✅ The final preparations for AIEC 2026 in Sydney
✅ The 40th anniversary celebrations
✅ Why this year’s conference matters for the sector
✅ Innovation Alley and the role of education technology
✅ The retro 1986 conference celebration on Kensington Street
✅ Key speakers including Annabel Crabb, Michael McQueen and Julia Gillard
The episode also includes a preview of the expo, the conference celebration, the International Education Badge, the AIEC quest, the fun run and a few surprises, including one very famous 1980s car.
If you are heading to AIEC, this episode is a great way to get ready. If you are still thinking about registering, it might be the nudge you need.
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. For guest suggestions and feedback, email podcast@globalsociety.com.auGlobal Horizons is the official podcast of the Australian International Education Conference. Registrations are open now: ⁠https://aiec.idp.com

Rob Malicki and Dirk Mulder of The Koala News are back, recorded the morning after a brutal sporting weekend for Dirk.
The main event is Tony Burke's National Press Club address. Student and temporary graduate visa holders will generally no longer be able to include family members, with exceptions for PhD candidates and some government-sponsored programs.
Moving provider will require a new visa application. Subsequent student visas will generally only be granted for progression to a higher-level qualification. T
he 2027 National Planning Level stays at 295,000. Rob's take: stopping dependants who share a house and a car does nothing for cost of living, and cutting third-year backpacker visas from 31,000 to 5,000 pulls 26,000 workers out of regional Australia.
Lots more is packed into this episode too!
See you at AIEC in three weeks!
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

In this special edition of Global Horizons, Dirk Mulder sits down with Sunil Jaggi, Managing Director of Auscan Consultants and committee member of the Association of Australian Education Representatives in India.

Recorded on Larrakia country in Darwin during a StudyNT agent familiarisation visit, the conversation explores how the role of the education agent has changed over the past 25 years, from fax machines and postal applications to AI, ChatGPT and students arriving with far more information than ever before.

Sunil reflects on his own experience as a former international student, why agents remain important in helping students make informed decisions, and why “fit” matters more than rankings alone.

The episode also looks at the value of agent familiarisation tours, with Sunil explaining how visiting Darwin has changed his understanding of the Northern Territory, its lifestyle, its community, its institutions and the opportunities available to international students.

In this episode, we cover:

✅ Sunil Jaggi’s journey from international student to education agent
✅ How student recruitment has changed over 25 years
✅ Why agents still matter in the age of AI
✅ The importance of fit when choosing a course and destination
✅ What StudyNT’s Darwin familiarisation visit revealed
✅ Current student confusion around Australian policy changes

The conversation also touches on the T20 Top End cricket tournament, Darwin’s accessibility and community feel, and the uncertainty many students and agents are currently facing as Australia considers further changes to migration and international education settings.

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

In this episode of Global Horizons, Rob and Dirk work through a packed international education runsheet, moving from Australia-Africa university collaboration to regulation, New Zealand’s export recovery and student accommodation.
The episode begins with Australia-Africa Week in Perth, where the Australia Africa Universities Network launched its 2030 strategy and made the case for higher education, research and training to become a central pillar of Australia-Africa relations.
Rob and Dirk then turn to the federal government’s move to suspend and cancel CRICOS registrations for the BSB80120 Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning), asking whether banning one course will actually fix the onshore pipeline, or simply push the market somewhere else.
The conversation also looks across the Tasman, where New Zealand’s international education exports have climbed back above pre-Covid levels, despite student numbers remaining below their 2019 peak.
In this episode, we cover:
✅ Australia-Africa university collaboration and the AAUN 2030 strategy
✅ The BSB80120 ban and Australia’s onshore pipeline
✅ Why course bans may not fix deeper business model problems
✅ New Zealand’s international education export recovery
✅ Vale to Mick Stevens
✅ Student accommodation and the new Gender-Based Violence Code
It is a wide-ranging episode about partnerships, policy, regulation, recovery and practical questions facing the international education sector.
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. For guest suggestions and feedback, email podcast@globalsociety.com.au

Global Horizons is the official podcast of the Australian International Education Conference. Registrations are open now: ⁠⁠⁠https://aiec.idp.com

In this episode of Global Horizons, Rob Malicki and Dirk Mulder return with a wide-ranging news discussion covering Nepal, the Northern Territory, student accommodation, sector advocacy and the growing divide between state and federal views on international education.
The episode begins with the devastating news from Nepal, and Rob and Dirk reflect on the deep connections between Nepal and Australia’s international education community.
Dirk then shares highlights from his time in Darwin, where StudyNT used the Top End T20 cricket tournament as a smart platform to tell the Northern Territory’s international education story to key markets across South Asia.
Rob and Dirk also discuss the growing support for international education from state leaders, the federal government’s migration settings, and Carolyn Evans’ National Press Club speech about the risks of cutting back on migration, skills and international student enrolments without considering the consequences.

In this episode, we cover:
✅ The tragic news from Nepal
✅ Dirk’s visit to Darwin and the StudyNT story
✅ The Top End T20 cricket tournament
✅ State government support for international education
✅ Carolyn Evans’ National Press Club speech
✅ Student accommodation and PBSA developments

The episode also looks at the opening of more student accommodation at Griffith Gold Coast, the need for tenancy rules that recognise student housing models, and the upcoming ISANA, English Australia and AIEC conferences.
It is a thoughtful episode about tragedy, recovery, advocacy, housing, politics and the continuing need to tell the story of international education clearly and confidently.
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.
For guest suggestions and feedback, email podcast@globalsociety.com.au
Global Horizons is the official podcast of the Australian International Education Conference. Registrations are open now: ⁠⁠⁠https://aiec.idp.com