Australian universities open doors to Ghanaian students

Hundreds of prospective students who wish to pursue tertiary education in Australia last Tuesday thronged the Movenpick Hotel in Accra to get firsthand information on education in that country.

As of 8 a.m., a number of students had already massed up at the hotel and by 9 a.m. officials from the various universities in Australia had set up tables to welcome the students.

The event, which was the fourth edition of the Australia Education Exhibition, was attended by about 18 Australian top universities which took prospective students through the steps and the requirements of their respective universities.

Participating universities

The universities that participated in the exhibition included the Australian National University, Curtin University, Edith Cowan University, RMIT University, Torrens University Australia, Victoria University and the Western Sydney University.

It was a busy time for the universities as scores of students jostled to be the first to be attended to by the various representatives of the universities.

The students were also taken through steps to acquire an Australian visa and what is expected of them in applying to study in Australia.

Rationale

Explaining the rationale for the exhibition, the Trade Commissioner for West Africa at the Australian High Commission, Mr Brendan Coyne, said it was an opportunity for Ghanaian students to get first-hand information on the Australian educational system.

“They can speak to the universities to get information on the courses they offer, their qualification requirements and more on where the university is located,” he explained.

Mr Coyne said there was also an opportunity for prospective students to listen to the experiences of some alumni of Australian universities and what they should expect.

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He acknowledged that Australia was a new destination for Ghanaians as far as education opportunities were concerned, “and so this is a good opportunity for the students to also consider Australia.”

Mr Coyne said some of the best universities in the world were in Australia and encouraged Ghanaian students to take advantage of the opportunity offered them to learn more about those universities and possibly apply for admission.

Mr Coyne said Australia was becoming a preferred education destination for Ghanaians and attributed it to the fact that Australia had a multi-cultural society and welcomed international students.