Speech by the Minister for Trade The Hon Mark Vaile MP to open the new IDP Office Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1 September 1999

(Check Against Delivery)

Thank you, Tony Keen; ladies and gentlemen.

I am very pleased to be here today to open the new IDP Office in Sao Paolo. The establishment of this office reflects a very important declaration by Australia's universities and other educational institutions - that they wish to build a constructive, long-term relationship with the educational sector in Brazil.

IDP Educational Australia is a not-for-profit foundation established by Australia's universities some 30 years ago. Its mission is to make Australia's world-class education and learning resources available to the world.

Of course, IDP's traditional focus has been the countries to the north of Australia. It has built very strong relationships with the education sectors of countries like Indonesia, where it has been asked by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank to manage the implementation of a number of educational development projects. Similarly it is implementing an Asian Development Bank higher education project in Papua New Guinea.

Probably its most important contribution, though, has been in making information available to international audiences about study opportunities in Australia. Working closely with my own agency, Austrade, it has been responsible for Australia becoming the number one destination for students from countries such as Singapore and Indonesia. In other countries, like India, it is second only to the United States as the preferred education destination.

But if you are going to build educational links between countries, you need to make available clear, reliable and comprehensive information about courses, entry requirements and enrolment processes. The provision of such information will be a primary task of this new office. The young people of Sao Paulo who call on its resources can be assured that the office will perform its task with authority, reliability and integrity.

And that is very important. Because when we suggest that scholars think about study in another country, we are talking about decisions that change people's lives. It is vital, therefore, that we provide such advice with care and professionalism. Over 30 years, IDP has built a reputation for the delivery of advice with the highest standards of responsibility.

It has, of course, taken IDP some time to come to Brazil. My own Department has been encouraging Australians to look to Latin America for some time as a new market for Australian goods and services.

In fact, education is just the kind of international activity that goes beyond the narrow definitions of market or geographic proximity &endash; its market is the entire world. And advances in international air routes and in the new information and communications technologies are bringing educators closer together all over the world.

Regardless of these technological advances that shrink our world, nothing can substitute for having a real physical presence in a country. Brazilian scholars can gain much valuable information over the Internet, but they can get so much more from speaking to an IDP representative in person.

I am pleased, therefore, that IDP on behalf of its owners - the Australian universities and other educational institutions - has taken the step of opening this office. I hope that it will become a little slice of Australia in the heart of Sao Paulo.

I am pleased to declare the office open.