Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

One of the greatest success stories in building lifelong people to people links with Asia has been through international education—the success story of our exporting culture into Asia. For the last 25 years Australia has opened up our universities to students from the Asian region. Over the last 10 years, Australia has educated nearly two million students from Asia. We have educated a generation of Asian students who have gone back to their home countries with a deep and abiding affection for Australia. This has been largely a one-way relationship. We need to encourage more Australians and our universities to build relationships in Asia so that Australian students have an understanding of Asia and are able to build links, and understand and identify opportunities. Supporting younger Australians having firsthand experience in Asia is a key part of making our population more Asia literate and building on the opportunities available. (Time expired)