The australiaX Series had a mission: to ignite students’ curiosity towards study in Australia and boost their chances of career success. Powered by PTE Academic, the first ever australiaX International Student Series passed in a whirlwind of conversations, workshops and presentations, with students attending from across the globe.
“I participated in so many events throughout the day and enjoyed each of them. PTE English language testing, entrepreneurship, mental wellbeing, video interviews – I got such wonderful insights and gained so much.”
– Overseas australiaX participant studying at Monash University from Malaysia
Supporting overseas students
With borders closed, a number of australiaX sessions were focused on supporting students still overseas and getting them excited about their upcoming journey to Australia. australiaX’s opening session, eXplore your opportunities in Australia, brought together current and former international students, both in Australia and overseas, to discuss employment, entrepreneurship, academics and building lifelong skills at each stage of the study journey.
To help students prepare for their journey, Your visa questions eXplained tackled the often confusing topic of student visas and provided a direct line between students and registered migration agents so they could have their most pressing questions answered. While the eXpanding your networks for success session offered students the opportunity to engage with professionals and peers one-on-one and to begin building their virtual network.
Preparing for future success in Australia
The pressure to start meeting new people can be tough for international students, both virtually from overseas and in their new Aussie city.
“Too many talented quieter professionals are overlooked or exhausted from pretending to be outspoken. Quietly powerful qualities are incredible leadership strengths and very much needed in the world, yet under-valued.”
– Megumi Miki
Building your network when networking is not your thing was a session built for those in this exact situation, and host Megumi Miki, author, speaker and consultant in leadership and culture, redefined leadership for the rapt audience – a new group of emerging quietly powerful leaders.
“Thanks Megumi for a wonderful talk. You’ve given great advice and practical suggestions. Great for all, no matter where they come from or where they are. Stay strong. Stay happy.”
– Overseas australiaX participant studying at University of Western Australia from Indonesia
Being able to communicate in English with peers and colleagues once you are in Australia helps build confidence and success and taking an English language test is a key part of the international student journey, so australiaX hosted English language eXams – how to choose, prepare and succeed! with E2Language and Mythbusting the English language test with PTE Academic specialists. With live question and answer segments, and prizes including free marked PTE Academic practice tests, students left the sessions feeling more confident about their impending English test. Plus, with improved English communication skills, you can head into the Australian workplace, start networking effectively and begin your career journey.
Opportunities in Australia
An incredible and diverse range of pivotal international student issues were explored during australiaX. Employability and entrepreneurial skills were covered in Being Entrepreneurial: Job Seeker or Job Giver, while How to handle tricky online interviews like a pro! provided advice on navigating the job hunt. Resilience and Future-Readiness taught key skills for overcoming challenging times, and A practical guide to making the most of a student budget offered handy financial tips for students both onshore and offshore. Finally, How you feel inside matters – a story of hope and connection with batyr brought the importance of student mental wellbeing to the fore.
“Thank you for organising a meaningful event. I learned a lot from the sessions and I look forward to participating in your future events.”
– australiaX participant studying at the University of South Australia in Australia
…and for a bit of fun
australiaX concluded in a battle of wits with the australiaX Quiz, where students teamed up (virtually!) to tackle topics such as Aussie celebrities, Wonders of the World, 2020 pop culture and international brands – all in the name of winning prizes!
Catch up on australiaX
If you weren’t able to make australiaX live, no worries (as the locals say)! Every session has been uploaded to the australiaX YouTube channel for you to enjoy.
We’ll see you all in 2021!
“Thanks a lot for this prize! I’ll definitely use it before the end of this year. It’ll be so helpful for me, because I plan to try PTE next year. Thanks again and I’m looking forward to the next event!”
– Overseas participant from Peru researching study in Australia
