With globalization ramping up, the boundaries that kept us confined to a single place is slowly being eroded. We learn the ways and means of people from other countries, we rock the clothing and fashion of those from other side of the planet, and we cook and/or eat cuisines totally alien in our land.
It goes the same with education. Completing your study on your homeland is cost-efficient, but hugely missing the academic opportunities being offered by other nations. With over 22,000 courses offered by 1,100 institutions, Australia is the third most popular international student destination in the world. The number of these students are expected to rise by 30% more in the next seven years. Take advantage of these revolution by bringing your schooling here.
So why study in Australia? We rounded up the reasons for you.
The excellence in education maintained by schools and universities in the country are commendable. Since a significant part of the economy’s driving factor is coming from students, the government is taking extraordinary effort in overseeing the education sector.
The country’s universities are among the best and most innovative in the world. Of the world’s top universities, seven hailed from here, speaking highly of the country’s position in the global scale as far as education is concerned. This top of the notch schooling also hugely contributed to Australia’s thriving economy by producing skilled and knowledgeable professionals. Some of them responsible to the game-changing innovations that the entire world relies to right now (check them here and here).
The Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) is a national system designed and administered by the Australian Government's Department of Industry to regulate and determine the standards for educational qualifications in Australia. The framework is formulated around ten levels of descriptive criteria, with formal qualifications adjusted to the appropriate levels.
The AQF insures consistency of qualification titles across the country represent the same high standards of education.
Australia is home to the best research facilities in the world, including state of the laboratories and expansive libraries. It also one of the fastest to adopt new technologies and innovation in the field of academics and research.
And it doesn’t end there after you graduate. The country provides research opportunities to eligible professionals who intend to advance their careers by gaining more knowledge in their chosen field. There are restrictions, though. As this opportunity if offered only to people with highly competitive and excellent track record.
Perhaps the most beaming quality of the country. Australia is home to a secure, multicultural, amiable, and harmonious society. Over the years, it has attracted students from different parts of the world like Asia, Europe, Africa, and the United States. As a country build by migration, it still continues to accept people; regardless of race, religion, or political view; to contribute to its ever-growing and diverse society.
As a student, you will always fit it. You will be surrounded by other foreigners like you who will treat you as family.
Australia’s economy is driven by various sector, especially by the service, mining, telecommunications, agriculture, banking, and manufacturing industries. This translates to a huge variety of employment opportunities to would-be gradates. Not to mention, it’s one of the largest mixed economies in the world, and is still thriving.
It currently a member of the APEC, G20, OECD and WTO. And is under free trade agreement with ASEAN, Canada, Chile, China, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and the United States. This ensure that the economy running efficiently and in constant need of workers and professionals to supply its ever-growing workforce.
The fast-paced lifestyle in United Kingdom and Japan might be frenetic, energy-charged, and exciting, but as a student, this would result to a lot of stress, loss of focus, and absence of structure in your life. Australia, on the other hand is known for its relaxed lifestyle.
A laid back (but necessarily lazy) lifestyle is conducive to learning since you can save all your energy to concentrate on your studies. Not to mention, a relaxed life lets you have a more flexible schedule, freedom to choose your extra-curricular activities, and focus more on your earning opportunities and/or employment to further support your studies.
Australia isn't for everybody. It is a place where norms are flipped outside down and logic is thrown outside the window. A country where work and fun are two reconcilable priorities (yes, it is imperative that you have fun here). It is weird, quirky, and mind-blowing at the same time.
Here are ten points to find out if the Land Down Under is the perfect migration destination for you.
Australia might change its season on a daily basis, but it is overly warm. And sometimes, warm is a gross understatement. Temperatures here can reach up to 30 degrees Celsius. Sunscreen will be your best friend (check here how warm it can be in each city).
With a huge land area, there is so much ground to cover in the continent, and a lot of wonderful tourist spots, too. Aussies themselves love to roam around, whether inside or outside the country. And being able to travel also makes it easier to connect with them (check here for some of the best activities to do and places to visit in Australia).
In Australia, equality and fairness is king. Everybody is given an equal opportunity regardless of background, race, or gender. Nobody is too fortunate or bottom-scrapping. They split bills and don't go to barbecues empty-handed.
Alright. Australia is, by statistics, still full of white people (and there's a reason for that, check it here). But it’s slowly changing. With more workforce from around the globe landing ashore, it’s not a rare occurrence that you will be working with at least three Asians, two Europeans, and Middle-Eastern. If you’re a xenophobe, this place isn’t for you.
The Land Down Under isn’t just racially diverse, but sexually, too. At work, don’t be surprised if your boss is gay or lesbian or even a transgender. Everybody is being treated with respect here, no matter what their sexual orientation is. Case in point, one of the biggest street festivals in Sydney is the annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, in which they totally celebrate open-mindedness.
Aussies love sports, actually, any sports. Cricket, football, tennis, soccer, golf, rugby, basketball, you name it. They like to play them, and like watching them even more either in huge stadiums or in bars and homes, cheering and jeering. If you enjoy these things, this is your home, mate.
Australians are very friendly people, in fact, they celebrate this trait as an integral part of their national identity. If a random bloke starts a gleeful conversation with you, you need to welcome it with open arms. Same goes with riding a taxi. The spirit of mateship dictates that you sit beside the driver and have a good chat.
Laziness is being looked down by Australians, as they take pride being hard workers with so much to contribute to society. Being sluggish is a big taboo, they actually have a derogative word for it: bludger. Being called a bludger is one of the worst labels here. It means you are incompetent, inefficient, and can’t pull your own weight.
Don’t be a bogan. Bogans (yes, that’s another derogative slang) are those guys who who haphazardly dress complete with mullet and creepy mustache. Australians make sure they dress smart, as this exhibits confidence, professionalism, and civility.
Living in Australia is all about driving. The country is big and one of the most sparsely populated on Earth. So not everything is within reach. Sometimes you have to drive three to five miles just to get to your favorite burger joint, or to take a walk at the beach.
As we have established before, Australia’s roots itself is founded on migration and immigration. It’s a turbulent history involving people from the far reaches of the world converging into a large heap of mysterious land to establish one of the best countries on Earth.
Here’s an abridged version of that history.
Along the way, we will also squash some myths, too. And explain why, despite its efforts for diversity, the country is still mostly white people.
The first ancestors of the indigenous Australians arrived in the continent 40,000 to 70,000 years ago. Since Australia is detached from the rest of the Earth’s landmass, these ancient settlers must have arrived here when glaciers still joined the continent to Tasmania and New Guinea.
The aborigines established what could be one of the oldest cultural and social traditions on Earth, developed a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, learned to harvest from the sea, and formed spiritual practices that will take the rest of the world many millenia to catch up like cremation and animist religion.
British explorer Captain James Cook wasn't the first Westerner to land ashore Australia (he was the eighth), but he made the most profound impact to the southern continent.
Seventeen years after his first landfall in 1770, Cook was heralded by the British Empire to establish a penal colony here. This was the time when the American Revolutionary was still raging on, prompting the Empire to slowly lose its resources and needed replacement, setting its sight on the newfound land.
Now, you might have heard, this colony is home to Britain’s most violent murderers and traitors and that modern Australians are the descendants of these criminals. Let us crush the myth here.
While they may be branded as “criminals,” these people’s only infractions range from “stealing a piece of bread” to “pickpocketing a wallet.” These were poor, unemployed, exploited, and underfed people (again, because of the US’ war with the Brits) whose hunger caused them to break a few laws and now were needed to be exiled because the prison spaces were rapidly decreasing. And Australia was their chosen destination.
In that same year, the colony of Botany Bay (now Sydney) was established, and years later, the New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land.
But of course, this transition wasn't easy, as the settlers were in constant clash with the indigenous tribes, which they see as barbaric, primitive, and uneducated. Since the Brits have far more superior technology and weapons, the aborigines often got the end of this long, painful, and violent stick. Racism, exploitation, and intolerance was very rampant.
In fact, many indigenous groups today believe that Australia Day, being celebrated every January 26th to commemorate Cooks landing, should be called Invasion Day, to embody and remind the present generation of the bloodshed and affliction the aborigines went through on this turbulent part of history.
The convicts made significant efforts in developing the harsh and unproductive land into a fertile one. In a few years, they were able to pay their debts and gained freedom, establishing families, business, and even companies. Because of this, more and more migrants came to Australia to look for opportunities and ride the wave of its economic upswing. By 1840s, exiling convicts to the country was finally stopped, as the land slowly became a peaceful colony.
It didn't help that in the beginning of 1850s, gold rushes started occurring in some parts of the continent. Businesses boomed more, more migrants came in, and the population grew exponentially.
This ushered in a new transition from Colonial self-government to Federacy to Democracy. In the New Year of 1901, the country saw itself as a united nation, composed of the six major colonial countries. And calls for equal rights and representation grew more and heeded upon.
By population, Australia is currently 92% white (European), despite its constant effort to abolish racism and push forth diversity. This is because of the White Australia Policy.
In 1901, it was decided that the country would only allow immigrants from UK and other English-speaking countries, and exclude Asian, African, and Pacific islands settlers. This was partly to eradicate competition from the Chinese, who in gold rush periods, came to Australia in large numbers to participate and most often got the lion’s share of the economic prosperity.
This policy wasn’t tore down until between 1949 and 1956.
After suffering major setbacks from the two World Wars and the Great Depression, the government encouraged immigration from other nations, warning that the country should “populate or perish.”
With the new immigration polices rolled in, Australia began to enjoy significant economic prosperities between 1950s and 60s, especially in the housing and manufacturing sectors. This ushered in a newfound boom in the suburban living.
In the early 50s, alliances were formed with the United States and United Kingdoms, ironically the nations that spurned out Australia’s history and laid the ground to its economic rise.
This economic expansion plus steady stream of skilled immigrants pouring in continued to become the frameworks of the country’s development. A nation built from the aggregates of the many people who took the leap to find opportunities, and in the 21st Century continuous to grow on the same aspects of these events.
Last year, the Australian economy spiked up by 3% on the heels of the impending mining boom end, further proving that the lucky country’s financial system is still the well-oiled machinery that it was, and can sustain almost any economic downturn.
And in an age where migration is a matter of survival, Australia is still one of the most popular choices to settle and retire, as shown by its increasing number of migrants.
So, what does the Land Down Under haveto offer? Here are ten of them:
Let’s admit it, when deciding on a new country to settle in, job opportunity comes high on the list. When it comes to this, Australia never disappoints.
At below 5%, it has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world. It provides one of the highest minimum wages (even for the casual jobs) and is in constant need of a wide range of skills and specialization to support its ever growing economy.
The 2015 spike isn’t the first time the country endured an economic threat, either. It is in fact one of the very few countries that walked away almost unscathed during the global financial crisis that plunged the western world (mostly Europe) in a revolving door or economic slowdowns and declines.
Majority of Australians are considered middle class, largely due to its meritocratic philosophy, providing jobs to the young and old, in almost every strata of the society.
It’s very nice to settle in a country’s financial hotspot, where you have access to the best the city can offer. But most of the time, as the quality of living gets more lucrative, the crowd follows. Leading to a huge of people competing over smaller spaces, whether it is residential space, commercial centers, or even the cafeteria!
At three people per square kilometer, Australia is the 3rd least dense country in the world. And this still holds true for its major cities (no, we won’t ask you to settle in the Outback). Even if its financial, entertainment, and cultural hotspots continue to thrive, there are still a lot of spaces to move, a lot of freedom to explore, and more places to roam. It never gets crowded nor boring here.
The country’s history itself is rooted in mass migration and immigration from all over the world, making it a perfect haven for any outsiders. Today, it is a paragon of diversity, with one out of every four Australians being born outside the country, and with almost half of them having a parent who is born overseas.
If you will be a foreigner in Australia, have no worries. Because you will also be walking among other foreigners. You will not be judged by your nationality nor skin color but through your skills, work ability, and the capacity to get along with people.
And it also helps that the citizens are collectively taking the effort to battle any remnants of racism and are pushing forth diversity, as everybody recognizes that multiculturalism is what makes the country a better place to live in.
They love diversity so much, they even have a holiday for it: Harmony Day being celebrated every 21st of March.
Having a good job and a lot of nice people around means nothing if you know you can’t walk down the streets during the night without fearing for your life. Australia has taken care of that.
At only 1.1 felonies committed for every 100,000 people, it has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. And while the population is steadily booming, it never curbed the efforts to combat crime. In fact, crime rates are declining as well. And homicide and robbery is even the least you can worry about, the highest number of infraction here are limited to public disorder offences, the type of felony where mostly nobody gets hurt.
This significantly low crime rate is the result of the continuous efforts of the police, sheriffs and bailiffs who constantly patrol and safe guard the population, as well as the citizens’ altruistic attitude towards their fellows, natural-borne and foreigners alike.
As far as the livable regions are concerned, Australia has the Goldilocks climate: neither too hot nor too cold.
During the summer season, it sports a mild to tropical temperature, making it a top destination for those trying to escape the freezing climate of the Northern Hemisphere. During its autumn to winter months, it provides a clear to cool condition, but still with plenty of sunshine.
Because of this moderately warm climate, moving here means you will have fewer stress, more time outdoors, be more physically active, and be safe from the dangers of extreme weather like hypothermia or heat wave, as what always happen in other parts of the world.
A better job and a better quality of life. It is a win-win situation here.
With the combined death of 7.8 million every year, lung, respiratory, and pulmonary diseases may as well be the top global killer we are dealing with these days, surpassing heart illnesses and stroke by a small margin. All of these are caused by air pollution, a major peril among most under-developed and still-developing countries.
But not in Australia. At a pollutant concentration of 8 µg/m3, it has one of the cleanest air in the world. And this number even lower in cities like Melbourne, Illawarra, Geelong, Sydney, Lower Hunter, and Traralgon, all of which hovers at around 5 µg/m3. This mean the residence in the entire continent has healthier cardiovascular and respiratory health, warding off possibilities of acute lung diseases, asthma, lung cancer, and yes, stroke and heart diseases.
With much of the world already developed or still developing, a completely reliable healthcare is still largely the holy grail of good governance. Except here in Australia. Because making sure having a virtually pure air to breathe is still not enough for the government, they also made health care an integral part of their policy for thirty years.
One of the best ranked in the world in terms of health, health equality, responsiveness, responsiveness equality, and fair financial contribution, it offers a two-fold system of public and private health insurances, with the more affluent citizens being encouraged to opt for the private system by levying a 1% tax increase if they ever chose to go otherwise, freeing more room for the middle and lower class population to take advantage of the public system.
For a long time now, Australia has been one of the three most popular destinations for international students (the other two being US and UK).
And why not? The country has some of the most globally recognized universities whose graduates are highly sought after in various fields. These schools offer a diversified range of degrees, trainings, and vocational courses to students who can freely choose which one would best cater to their needs.
And as far technology is concerned, the programs are constantly in the forefront of today’s advancing world. Students have access to most impressive scientific research, data collection, and educational resources available. There aren't many places better than this.
Australia has some of the finest tourist attractions in the world, nature-borne or man-made. And one with the most extreme ranges.
Trek the desserts of the Australian Outback or go skiing on Mt. Buller (yes, in the same continent!). Bewilder at the Sydney Harbor or explore the Great Barrier Reef. Hike the King’s Canyon, trek the Queensland forests, get amazed at the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium, visit the penguins of Phillip Island, dine in the restaurants of Melbourne, conquer the Blue Mountains, go wine tasting at Claire and Barossa Valleys, or just drive along the Whitehaven Beach. There’s just so many places to visit and so many things to do.
All these wealth of advantages and benefits combined result to happier, less-stressed, and healthier citizens. And the numbers aren’t lying either.
Australia has been praised as one of the happiest countries in the world, with the citizens completely satisfied as far as life expectancy, generosity, social support, freedom, and lack of corruption are concerned.
Not to mention, the country is also one of the three healthiest nations, with life expectancy, causes of death, proportion of young people who smoke, the number of people with raised cholesterol and the number of immunizations factored in. These also lead to Australia being the least-stressed country in the world.
All of these perks, frills, and assets in one beautiful continent from down under.