International students are Australia’s bridge to Asia Pacific, says MP
AUSTRALIAN MP Hong Lim highlighted the importance of foreign students to Australia’s bilateral ties at Victoria University’s International Students’ Association’s 10th anniversary celebrations. Leon Saw reports.
Labor MP Hong Lim. Stock photo: Samuel Eng
State Member of Parliament Hong Lim has addressed the importance of international students to Australia’s bilateral ties at a local university event last week.
“International students are Australia’s bridge to the Asia Pacific,” he said.
“As proud products of an Australian education, you will strengthen our relationship with the world and bring Australia into the 21st century.”
Mr Lim was delivering a speech at Victoria University’s International Students’ Association’s (ISA) 10th anniversary celebrations at the university’s City Flinders’ campus.
Those in attendance included club members, the Indonesian and Malaysian Consul-Generals, and university staff.
Mr Lim also touched on the lack of public transport concessions for international students in Victoria.
“I had a big fight with caucus over it,” he said.
“I will continue to fight for it.”
Aside from Lim, the university’s Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Greg Baxter, ISA President William Zhao and International Student Support associate director Danielle Hartridge also addressed the crowd.
The celebration concluded with the presentation of the ISA International Student of the Year 2012 Academic Awards.
ISA’s future plans
After 10 years, ISA President William Zhao said the organisation is ready to up their game.
“We will think about how to represent the students better,” he said.
“We want to build the International Student Association to the utmost in the next decade, but it is quite insurmountable so we will take it step by step.”
Mr Zhao is also aiming for the ISA to be recognised beyond VU.
“We also want to build up the Association internally and make it more professional,” he said.
“But at the end of the day, we want the International Student Association to be a link between the students and Victoria University.”