What inspired you to work for Deakin University?
Deakin University is a very young university, and heavily focuses on the student experience. Deakin Abroad would be regarded as the leader in student mobility programs of other Australian higher education providers. Working in such an efficient team enables me to learn from my amazing colleagues every day.
Deakin Burwood Campus
Explain Deakin Abroad’s mission.
Deakin Abroad is the department of Deakin University that operates all the inbound student mobility programs, and we receive up to 300 students from all over the world each trimester. We have been striving to provide an easy application process and a diverse study environment to all our incoming students.
What makes Deakin extraordinary for international students?
With several locations and flexible study delivery modes, Deakin is able to accommodate students' different study plans and provide unique study experiences in Australia.
View from top floor of Deakin Geelong Waterfront Campus
How much support do students receive during their time at Deakin?
We help to support all of our incoming participants of study abroad programs from the beginning of their applications. All our information is transparent on our website, and applications are submitted online. Furthermore, we also provide free airport pickup and Beach Welcome programs.
Describe a typical day at work for you.
Every day I received a very high volume of email enquiries from students and partners from overseas. I make sure all the information is provided correctly and in a timely manner. Meanwhile, I also multi-task on other projects, such as processing applications, organizing student orientations, and creating marketing collateral.
How do you support students in your role as the Global Student Mobility Officer?
As a crucial member for the inbound mobility program, I assist incoming students from the moment they decide to come to Deakin (for example, with their application, offer, CoE, accommodation, and airport pickup). I also organize welcome events for new students each trimester. Since our office has an open-space layout, we welcome all the students to drop by without making any appointments to support them even after they are on site.
Deakin Warrnambool Campus
What is your favorite part of your job?
I love to see students dropping by our office and telling us how much they loved their stay in Australia and enjoyed the program at Deakin. Making positive impacts on overseas students encourages me to work harder on my everyday tasks.
Why is Deakin an ideal location for students?
Deakin University is located in the world’s most livable city—Melbourne. Students who come to Deakin will not only have a great academic environment at Deakin campus, but also have the chance to experience and live in this super dynamic and vibrant city that has a lot to offer. Additionally, Deakin University has four campuses across the state of Victoria; they are Melbourne Burwood, Geelong Waterfront, Geelong Waurn Ponds, and Warrnambool. No matter what the student is into, beach vibe or country life, we will be able to flexibly accommodate students’ needs.
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
We hope all the participants are able to achieve the academic outcomes that they aim for at Deakin University. More importantly, we hope our participants find themselves more culturally diverse after they live and study in Australian.
Deakin Waurn Ponds Campus
Do you have any advice for future Deakin students?
I would highly recommend anyone who is going overseas to be prepared for potential culture shock, and that they try to stay open-minded and fearless. What makes a positive study abroad experience is your own open mindset to embrace the different culture and to make friends from all over the world.
What advice do you have for students contemplating studying abroad in general?
I would suggest that any student thinking about going abroad tries to be fearless and open-minded. Studying abroad, experiencing different culture vibes, and making new friends from all over the world will broaden your horizons and contribute to your future career as well.
What hopes do you have for the future of Deakin Abroad?
Our students participating in our Deakin study abroad programs come from all over the world, such as Europe, Asia, North America, and Latin America. Our Deakin Abroad team is also very multicultural. We would like to continue providing this culturally-diverse study abroad environment and to continue working toward our student-oriented goal to support all incoming study abroad students, making sure that they have a fantastic study experience in Australia.
