National peak body launched to represent international students in Australia

The International Students Representative Council of Australia (ISRC of Australia) has been formally established as an independent, democratic, and transparent national peak body representing and advocating for international students across the country.

International students contribute enormously to Australia’s education system, economy, and broader society. However, according to the newly-launched organisation, in recent years, they have “lacked a consistent and coordinated national representative voice to influence the policies that directly affect them”.

The ISRC of Australia noted that, at a national level, the absence of such a peak body has left international students largely excluded from key policy consultations and decision-making processes. At many institutions, particularly those without student associations, students often have no formal avenues for representation or support.

ISRC of Australia is therefore committed to:

• Expanding, defending, and preserving the rights and interests of international students
• Ensuring regular and genuine consultation with the international student community
• Fostering cooperation among student representative organisations nationwide
• Promoting health, wellbeing, inclusion, and equity for international students
• Advocating independently and professionally to governments, universities, and sector stakeholders

In the lead up to the launch, which took place at the 2025 Australian International Education Conference (AIEC), leaders from New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory convened a series of roundtables and consultations, receiving advice from the Department of Education, Universities Australia, IEAA, ISANA, ISEAA, and Welcoming Universities.

Throughout the process, the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations has played a key role in supporting the initiative and advocating for stronger international student representation at the national level.

Speaking to The PIE News, Weihong Liang, president of ISRC Australia said that in its first year, the Council hopes to “spark a national conversation about the role of international students in Australian higher education – moving beyond their financial contribution to recognise their broader social, academic, and cultural value”.

We also advocate for universities to be viewed not as export industries but as public institutions serving education and research
_{^{Weihong Liang, ISRC Australia}}

“We also advocate for universities to be viewed not as export industries but as public institutions serving education and research. This means ensuring that international student tuition fees are reinvested in teaching, research training, and student services, rather than diverted to profit-oriented activities.”

ISRC Australia is currently advocating for a formal seat for international students at the Council for International Education, where such representation previously existed through CISA.

It’s also looking to establish an advisory relationship with the recently launched Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATEC) to ensure international student perspectives are embedded in future governance and policy processes.

At the institutional level, it wants to encourage all universities to set up International Student Advisory Committees to strengthen consultation and co-design with their international cohorts – a model already adopted by several universities. 

Membership of ISRC of Australia is open to student representative organisations across the country whose objectives align with the mission of advancing and protecting the rights and interests of international students.

“Beyond the university sector, we recognise that many international students studying at private colleges, TAFEs, and English language providers remain outside existing student representation structures,” explained Liang.

“We plan to work with these education providers to host dedicated roundtables that bring these students together, amplify their voices, and support the development of emerging student leaders in those sectors.”

Without these representative structures being established across sectors, Liang said it is difficult to create “meaningful connection points for national coordination”.

“Therefore, in the foreseeable future, much of the ISRC’s work will focus on building and supporting these representative mechanisms – from national to state to institutional levels – to lay the foundation for a unified and sustainable system of international student representation in Australia,” said Liang.

The post National peak body launched to represent international students in Australia appeared first on The PIE News.