The social and economic security of international students in the global education market

The global education market is fast growing, volatile and strategically significant for Australia. It imposes social and economic risks on international students. Work on student choice suggests social and economic security is a key driver of decisions to enrol in Australia. But security, partly devolved to universities and informal networks, is under-theorised and there has been little empirical research. Noting that international students have human, consumer and employee rights, we 1) analyse security issues affecting prospective students and actual students; 2) explain the division of security responsibilities among governments, market agents, civil society and families; and 3) explore university and government management of security.