Federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne has announced the membership of the Coordinating Council for International Education.

The Coordinating Council will be responsible for finalising Australia’s new National Strategy for International Education.

“The work the Council does to finalise a national strategy for international education will deliver enormous benefits to the Australian community,” Pyne said.

“It will help secure our third largest export that has so many spinoff benefits for our local communities.

“It will build on our relationships with other nations by educating students in and about Australia and make them lifelong advocates for our country.”

Minister Pyne has placed himself in the top role at the Council, which will also include; Julie Bishop, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Andrew Robb, Minister for Trade and Investment; Ian Macfarlane, Minister for Industry and Science; Michaelia Cash, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection; and Simon Birmingham, Assistant Minister for Education and Training.

The government ministers will be joined by “six prominent education and industry experts,” Pyne says.

Those experts are:

  • Phil Honeywood — CEO, International Education Association of Australia
  • Kate Carnell— CEO, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
  • Belinda Robinson — Chief Executive, Universities Australia
  • Sue Blundell — Executive Director, English Australia
  • Bill Spurr— Chair, Education Adelaide
  • Malcolm White — Acting CEO, TAFE Directors Australia

In its first step toward finalising the National Strategy for International Education, the Council will convene two roundtables at Parliament House on 18 June and 13 August 2015.

The Draft National Strategy for International Education is accessible here.