Global Perspectives in Higher Education: Mike Ferguson

Mike Ferguson, Charles Sturt University. Written 25/04/25

Q: How has internationalisation shaped your institution's strategic vision over the past five years, and what specific initiatives have proven most successful?

A: Internationalisation is vitally important to Charles Sturt – it has created opportunities for our domestic students to undertake an international experience as part of their degrees; brought diversity to our classrooms; and created additional income streams that help to support our core domestic delivery and research.   As a regionally based university, attracting international students to our regional campuses is not always easy, as while these are great destinations to study in, they are often not well known among international students – who tend to gravitate towards the largest cities.  We have invested heavily in growing our regional international student load – doubling the number of enrolments over the last five years – but the quantum remains small.  Our most successful international initiatives have consequently been those delivered with partners in locations that correlate with strong international student demand – for example our 25 year transnational education delivery partnerships in China and our metro campuses in Sydney and Melbourne. 

Q: What do you see as the greatest opportunity for international collaboration in higher education today, and how is your institution positioned to capitalise on it? 

A: With downward policy pressure on onshore international student volume across many of the traditional major markets, the greatest current opportunity is undoubtedly transnational education (TNE).  This is not though without its challenges, typically delivering far less commercial return than home country delivery and coming with higher risk.  At Charles Sturt, we have a long history with TNE – with successful multi decade long partnerships in China, Cambodia and Hong Kong.  This experience positions us well for new opportunities – which we are very keen to explore – but the key rests with identifying the appropriate partnership, one where there is mutual alignment and the potential for a long-term durable relationship.  

Q: In your view, what is the most significant challenge facing international higher education partnerships, and what approaches have you found effective in addressing it?

A: There will always be a degree of volatility with international partnerships – whether that be future Government policy changes, pandemics or other geo-political events.  While these are all unavoidable, if you invest in partnership design upfront, develop effective risk mitigations and take the time to build positive relationships then the partnership has a far better opportunity of being able to successfully navigate the ups and downs that will be invariably encountered.  

At Charles Sturt we are very careful about partner selection, with a focus on ensuring long term success and mutual alignment.  We have formal processes in place that have proved highly effective (and which can be readily replicated) for matters such as due-diligence, operating model design, contractual arrangements and partnership governance.   These are applied consistently across partnerships, including our highly successful TNE ventures in China which have delivered almost 15,000 graduates. 

Q: How do you balance the economic incentives of international student recruitment with broader academic and cultural exchange goals in your institution's internationalisation strategy?

A: An institution needs to stay true to its core mission – for Charles Sturt, that’s educating and supporting the community needs of our regional footprint.  If that principle remains at the forefront, and all international activity is geared towards supporting that core mission,  then it’s much easier to ensure an appropriate balance between the requisite elements of internationalisation.     

Q: Looking ahead to the next decade, what emerging trends or shifts in global higher education do you believe will most dramatically reshape the landscape of international partnerships and student mobility?

A: I think we’re starting to see it already via a far more managed and interventionist approach from Government.  We’re also of course starting to see the emergence of new international study destinations, as well as the continued development of the education systems within many of the core ‘sending’ countries.   For some countries, internationalisation of the higher education system is still quite new and there’s a learning experience on both sides as to how to best navigate that and ensure mutual value.  

From an Australian perspective, international education has been such a significant success story – representing one of the country’s largest exports and creating so many opportunities for Australian students to study overseas, for example via the New Colombo Plan.  Much of the growth we have seen over the last 20 years has been market led, driven by entrepreneurship and active government encouragement to create new income streams that reduce the education funding burden on the tax-payer.  It’s clear that over the next decade, there will be a re-calibration – with a move away from a fully market driven approach to one where Government takes a more active role in designing what the international sector should look like.  In my view that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it will certainly be disruptive and will need to be done in a way that, leverages the expertise of the sector to inform policy design to deliver positive outcomes for students and the Australian public alike. 

Q: How important do you believe TNE will be to development of quality higher education globally.

A: It is already important – helping to fill supply side gaps in many countries by increasing the number of high quality university places available, and in doing so, helping to build human capital capabilities and skill sets.  I think this is likely to continue for the foreseeable future, and while some markets are coming close to saturation, others remain largely untapped.  By delivering quality education in the student’s home country, TNE can also reduce the risk of ‘brain drain’, and as such I see this option continuing to appeal to Governments of developing countries.