Global Horizons - The Australian International Education Podcast

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

In this special edition of Global Horizons, Dirk Mulder sits down with Northern Territory Minister Robyn Cahill in Darwin.
Recorded on Larrakia country, the conversation explores what international education means to the Northern Territory, and why the Territory sees international students as central to its community, workforce, economy and future.
The episode begins with reflections on the devastating floods and landslides in Nepal, and the impact on the Nepalese student community in the Northern Territory.
From there, Dirk and Minister Cahill discuss what makes Darwin and the Northern Territory different: its multicultural community, close connection to Asia, strong employment pathways, relaxed lifestyle and deep sense of welcome.
They also explore the role of StudyNT, the importance of air connectivity, the Territory’s growing focus on Vietnam and Southeast Asia, and the clever use of T20 cricket to tell the StudyNT story into key international markets.

In this episode, we cover:
✅ The Northern Territory’s international education story
✅ Darwin’s multicultural community and lifestyle
✅ Why Nepal matters deeply to the StudyNT community
✅ The Territory’s connection to Asia
✅ Employment pathways for international students
✅ StudyNT’s sponsorship of T20 cricket

Minister Cahill also makes the case for why the Northern Territory needs a different national conversation on migration and international students.
This is a conversation about welcome, opportunity, community and why international education matters so much to the future of the Territory.
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.
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, 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