In this episode of the Koala News Global Horizons podcast, Rob Malicki and Dirk Mulder focus on one issue that is dominating the sector right now: visas.

They begin with John Chew’s recent commentary on the growing lack of clarity, consistency and trust in Australia’s student visa system, and what that means for institutions, students and the country’s reputation more broadly. From there, they unpack new data on just how much money the government is making from international education visa fees, including a striking figure tied to rejected applications, and ask what that says about the way the system is currently operating.

The conversation then turns to Nepal, where visa grant rates have dropped sharply in a short period of time, raising deeper questions about transparency, financial assessment and the burden being placed on institutions to interpret rules that do not appear to be clearly published or consistently understood. Rob and Dirk also reflect on what this kind of uncertainty may be doing to trust in Australia, particularly for students and families making major financial sacrifices simply to apply.

There is also some more constructive news in the episode. Rob and Dirk discuss the launch of the new Australian International Education Consultants Association, which brings together two existing agent bodies into a single national association, and they touch on IDP’s move into Malaysia, a sign of how student mobility patterns may continue to shift as the major destination countries become more difficult to navigate.

Highlights include:

• John Chew’s argument that the visa system is becoming harder to trust
• new figures on how much revenue is being generated from international education visa fees
• the sharp fall in visa grant rates for Nepal
• questions around financial scrutiny, transparency and fairness
• the launch of a new national association for education consultants
• why Malaysia is becoming a more significant destination in the global mix

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

When I sat down with Tom Gifford, I knew we’d end up talking about international education. What I didn’t quite expect was that we’d begin with a backpacker visa panic, a wrongly dated Qantas ticket, and one very stern airline employee who may, in her own quiet way, have changed the course of his life.

Because that’s the thing about conversations like this one. What starts as a chat about careers and universities quickly becomes something bigger. In Tom’s case, it’s a story that runs from Birmingham to Sydney, through the APY Lands of remote South Australia, into state government, on to the University of Adelaide, and eventually into a major leadership role at RMIT. Along the way, there are stories about service, community, mobility, ambition, and the very human moments that shape a life more than any carefully laid plan ever could.

Tom is thoughtful, grounded and refreshingly practical. He talks with real warmth about the communities he worked with early in his career, the complexity and energy of university life, and the challenge, and opportunity, of making student experiences better at scale. There’s also a fascinating thread running through this episode about admissions, AI, and what it might actually mean for universities to embrace change rather than simply talk about it.

In this episode, we get into:

• Tom’s very British backpacker arrival in Australia, and the airport moment that nearly went very differently

• working in remote South Australia with young Indigenous students preparing for employment opportunities

• the sense of community and care that left a lasting impression on him

• how a single cold email led to an unexpected role in South Australian state government

• the winding path into international education, and eventually into leadership at RMIT

• why admissions might be one of the most important, and most overlooked, parts of the student experience

• the way AI is already reshaping universities, from student support to leadership thinking

• why Delhi is one of Tom’s favourite places in the world, and what he loves about its energy and chaos

• the challenge of leading at scale while still keeping sight of the individual student journey

What I enjoyed most about this conversation is that Tom never sounds abstract, even when he’s talking about very big things. Whether it’s an admissions system, a team of 180, a walk through Delhi, or a memory from the outback, he brings it back to people. To service. To human potential. To that little spark that can change someone’s direction.

And maybe that’s what sits at the heart of this episode. Not just leadership, or strategy, or the future of universities, but the reminder that careers are often shaped in messy, unexpected ways, by landscapes, by timing, by risk, by luck, and by the people who decide to back us when they don’t have to.

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 Angelo 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 episode of the Koala News Global Horizons podcast, Rob Malicki and Dirk Mulder discuss the economic and policy backdrop shaping international education right now.

They unpack growing recession concerns, the role international education plays in local and national economies, and the gap between the public narrative around the sector and what the data may actually be telling us. They also look at the government’s delayed response to the international education inquiry, and a more positive initiative out of Victoria that connects international students with community through the AFL.

They’re then joined by Nico Chu from Sinorbis, who brings a practical perspective on what has changed in international student recruitment over the past few years. Nico talks about a market that is not simply shrinking, but becoming more competitive, more price-sensitive and more demanding. He also shares insights from recent research on student communication, including why speed matters, why fragmented communication causes real frustration, and why institutions can no longer rely on the old playbook if they want to convert student interest into enrolments.

Highlights include:

• recession concerns and what a contraction in international education could mean economically
• the difference between policy, perception and sector reality
• the government’s response to the long-running international education inquiry
• a Victorian initiative using AFL to build student inclusion and connection
• Nico Chu’s take on competition, conversion and the changing expectations of prospective students

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.

Global Horizons is the OFFICIAL podcast of the AIEC... a real privilege for us since it is the "do not miss" event of the year. Check out the conference website at ⁠aiec.idp.com

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