Global Horizons - The Australian International Education Podcast

In this episode of Global Horizons, I'm doing something a bit different.
With the 40th AIEC conference coming up at speed, I decided to take a solid look through the program and start trying to figure out what I might attend.
... ouch... it was a LOT harder than I expected, because there's just so much on the agenda this year!
If you haven't yet had a chance to look through the agenda, this short episode will give you an idea of what's coming... and why it's super important to lock in your place at the conference sooner rather than later!
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

Tourism Australia has a $13.5 billion vulnerability hiding in plain sight.
Its new Tourism 2035 strategy talks about growing visitor spending, encouraging longer stays and extracting more value from tourism.
But international education barely gets a look in.
That’s remarkable when education-related visitors generated $15.3 billion in tourism expenditure, compared with $13.5 billion from holiday visitors.
In this episode of Global Horizons, Dirk Mulder and I dig into what that omission says about the way Australia thinks about international education, tourism and migration.
We also get into:
• The state of Learning Abroad after this year’s national forum
• Whether Australia should rediscover the humble study tour
• What the latest Navitas Agent Perception Survey tells us about changing student behaviour
• Why AI might actually make good education agents more important
• The international education conference season ahead
And, naturally, Dirk tells us about the time he unexpectedly found himself standing in front of up to 2,000 students in India with absolutely nothing prepared.
Just another quiet week in international education.
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 Malicki sits down with Rick Chapman on the shores of Balmoral Beach in Sydney.
Rick’s career started in fast-moving consumer goods, working with iconic brands including Guinness, Arnott’s, Tim Tams, Kit Kat and Milo. He then made the move into education, bringing deep marketing and brand experience into a sector with a very different purpose.
Rob and Rick talk about what makes a great brand, why creativity still matters, and what higher education can learn from consumer marketing.
They also explore the challenge of telling the story of Australian education. Universities and education providers have so much to say, but often struggle to communicate their value clearly and consistently.
In this episode, we cover:
✅ Rick’s career in consumer marketing
✅ What made Guinness such a powerful brand
✅ The move from FMCG into education
✅ Why higher education needs stronger brand thinking
✅ The challenge of telling Australia’s education story
✅ Why relationships still matter in international education
This is a conversation about marketing, storytelling, relationships and the value of education. It is also a reminder that while the tools of marketing keep changing, the fundamentals still matter: know your audience, tell a clear story, and build trust over time.

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

Rob and Dirk are back for a new episode of Global Horizons, with Rob returning from France and Dirk recovering after a rough bout of flu.
This episode covers a busy fortnight in international education, starting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Australia and the continued focus on transnational education.
Rob and Dirk discuss Australia’s growing offshore education activity, including new developments in India and Sri Lanka, and the opportunities and risks that come with TNE. They also reflect on the importance of quality, oversight and making sure offshore delivery matches the strength of Australian education.
The conversation then moves to government and regulation, including feedback from PIE Live, growing sector frustration, and TEQSA’s new consultations on TNE reporting and ESOS registration renewals.
There is also a reminder about the Australian Census, and why international students should be encouraged to take part.
In this episode, we cover:
✅ Australia’s growing focus on transnational education
✅ New TNE activity in India and Sri Lanka
✅ Quality risks and oversight in offshore delivery
✅ TEQSA’s consultations on TNE and ESOS
✅ Why international students should complete the Census
✅ Two positive stories: Gut Goose and Faizaan Atal
The episode finishes with two strong good-news stories: Gut Goose, a Queensland startup accepted into Y Combinator, and Faizaan Atal’s journey from refugee to Western Sydney University student through the Australian Refugee Student Settlement Pathway.
It is a wide-ranging episode about policy, quality, data, innovation and the human stories that sit at the heart of international education.
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
Registrations are open now: https://aiec.idp.com

In this episode of Global Horizons, Dirk Mulder sits down with Caroline Hartnett, Director of Study Melbourne, following the launch of Victoria’s refreshed international education strategy, Study with Victoria.
Recorded at the Study Melbourne Hub in Hardware Lane, the conversation explores how Victoria is thinking about the next phase of international education after the recovery years.
Caroline discusses the five pillars of the strategy: student experience, employability and alumni connections, promotion of Victoria’s education offering, global connections and partnerships, and collaboration across the sector.
A major theme of the conversation is transnational education, and how Victorian institutions can support students to study with Victoria from anywhere in the world. Caroline also talks about the importance of offshore pathways, the Yes to International Student Fund, and why TNE can help students build confidence before coming to Australia.
The episode also explores the importance of collaboration, with Caroline highlighting that Study Melbourne’s work only matters because of the education providers, institutions and sector partners behind it.
In this episode, we cover:
✅ Victoria’s refreshed Study with Victoria strategy
✅ The five pillars guiding the strategy
✅ Why student experience remains central
✅ Victoria’s strength in transnational education
✅ The Yes to International Student Fund
✅ Why collaboration is key to the sector’s success
This is a focused conversation about Victoria’s international education future, and how the state is backing students, providers and global partnerships.
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
A reminder to colleagues that SUPER EARLY BIRD registrations for AIEC close TODAY (31st July). Get them here: https://aiec.idp.com/register-here