Don Doughty originally from Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia arrived in Melbourne at the beginning of 2017 and since his arrival in Melbourne, Don has been actively getting involved with various communities through volunteering. A keen interest for him is international students. Through volunteering & engaging with his peers at student events, his passion & support for international students has grown exponentially. In 2018, Don was elected as the National VET & TAFE officer for the Council of International Students Australia. Through his representation, he has developed and collaborated various initiatives and projects to foster improvements in the welfare and wellbeing of students, and empowering student leaders especially for the inaugural TAFE pilot program which aims to assist TAFE institution to form student association. Don represented the Council in the Ministerial Round table for Victoria and is currently the incoming Vice President of the Council of International Students Australia. Don wishes to continue his mission to contribute to the international education sector towards further sustainability and innovation.
The Council for International Students Australia spoke on the topic of education agents at their conference in Perth this year - there are still many concerns about education agent behaviour, business practices and the impact it has on the wider international education sector, and ultimately, the quality and/or quantity of international students coming to Australia. The feedback we received on this session on 'dodgy' education agents, education agents turned providers, falsification of documents, pre-departure information and value for investment have led to CISA wishing to address the education agents directly through this symposium.