1800 QSTUDY: Queensland’s world-class service for international student safety and wellbeing



Abstract

1800 QSTUDY is a state-wide support service for international students studying in Queensland. The service provides students, families, agents, chaperones, parents and homestay families with 24/7 phone support. The purpose of the initiative is to ensure that Queensland provides international students with a safe and supportive experience that is sustainable in a growing market. The priority-one service is available for all international students studying in Queensland. The hotline provides information on international student support services, accommodation, public transport, legal advice, health, welfare, safety, social inclusion, community engagement, provider regulation and wellbeing. The service is free and includes language translation, incident management and referrals to government support and welfare agencies. For under 18s studying in state schools, emergency triage and after-hours officer support are also available. In this session, learn how the Department of Education, International (DEi), has delivered a consistent welfare support service to every international student studying in Queensland.

Learning objectives

DEi’s approach to supporting international students is building on a vision of a strong and sustainable international education and training industry in Queensland. Guiding the improvement of the Queensland story is the delivery of the ‘International Education and Training Strategy to Advance Queensland 2016-2026’. This session will illustrate how DEi and Study Queensland prioritised a student support culture.   

Key learning objectives of the session include:

*examples of 1800 QSTUDY and innovations in student support and welfare services

*trends, challenges and issues for the schools sector learnt from 1800 QSTUDY data

*how 1800 QSTUDY hotline supports the ‘International Education and Training Strategy to Advance Queensland 2016-2026’ and National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students.

*how the 1800 QSTUDY service is improving student safety for under 18s for all programs led by the Queensland Department of Education

*key learnings from the implementation, including policy reform *where to next for 1800 QSTUDY.

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Nathan Pugliese, Department of Education, International, Queensland Government; Shannon Willoughby, Study Queensland, Trade and Investment Queensland

Manager, Strategy and Performance

Department of Education, International, Queensland Government

Nathan Pugliese is the Manager, Strategy and Performance, for the Department of Education, International (DEi). He is wildly enthusiastic about the future of international education and is committed to supporting international students to thrive in a rapidly changing and interconnected world. As an educational leader in Queensland, he is motivated by the department’s strategy to provide young people with an understanding of a global mindset. He manages the development, growth and implementation of the Queensland International Student Program activities, ensuring positive student experiences, outcomes and the delivery of a quality program. Nathan’s other roles include Chairman of the Queensland Student Innovation and Entrepreneurs Alliance (QSIEA). In this role he has brought together some of the best of Queensland’s start-up community to create the next generation of entrepreneurs, with a focus on international and domestic participation in a first-ever statewide student innovation challenge, Gen[in].