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Sydney named world’s most popular study abroad destination

New global survey reveals Sydney as most popular amongst international students

Sydney Harbour

Sydney has been named as the world’s most popular destination for international students in a new global ranking.

Coming out on top against 83 other cities worldwide, the amount of international students in Sydney stretched out in front of those in metropolitan heavyweights London, Paris and New York. Some 50,000 foreign students are currently completing university programmes in Sydney, with another 50,000 enrolled in Vocational or English courses.

The 2014 Global Cities Index, run by global consultancy firm A.T. Kearney measured how globally engaged a city is, using 26 different criteria based on degrees of business activity, human capital, information exchange, cultural experience and political engagement.

‘Our community of international students improves the city’s prosperity and liveability,’ Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore told the Sydney Morning Herald. ‘Sydney offers first-class education, professional experiences, cutting-edge research opportunities, a strong economy and a lifestyle that is unmatched.’

'It is no wonder so many students choose to live here.'

Consistently scoring high in international quality of living and popularity surveys, Sydney tied for second place with Zurich in QS’ 2014 survey for student cities with the best quality of living, and 4th overall for best student city worldwide.  The city’s top two institutions, the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales rank 38th and 52nd worldwide.

Graduates from Sydney institutions include five Nobel laureates, six prime ministers, two governor-generals, a Pulitzer Prize winner and a number of Australia’s top business and academic professionals.The international student community of Sydney contributes over AU$1.6 (US$1.49) billion to the city’s economy, whilst creating need for over 10,000 full-time jobs.

The Sydney Council also provides a number of support services for international students, including a leadership and ambassador programme that allows a select number of candidates to play an active part in projects that tackle issues faced by new international students.

Beneath the Australian regulatory body Educational Services for Overseas Students (ESOS), international students are provided the most thorough degrees of protection than any other study abroad destination in the world. Whilst protecting student’s financial and educational interests, Australian institutions are held to a number of strict quality standards at state and federal levels that ensure students enjoy a high-calibre learning experience.

An estimated 300,000 international students are studying abroad across the entire nation, with China, India, South Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam comprising the top 5 source countries.

 

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