Central Queensland University could be named Australia’s education exporter of the year at tonight’s (Thursday) 2005 Australian Export Awards Gala Dinner in Sydney.

CQU became a finalist for the national award after winning the education category at the Premier of Queensland’s Export Awards back in October. Last time CQU won the State-level Education exporter category (2002), it went on to win the Education Exporter of the Year Award at national level.

Other contenders for tonight’s award include Centre for Customs & Excise Studies, University of Canberra (ACT) Macquarie University (NSW) Risktec Australasia (WA) RMIT University (VIC) The University of Adelaide (SA) University of Tasmania (TAS.

The University has experienced its best year for export growth, with a 38.6% boost to international enrolments (compared with an industry average for Australia of 4.6%).

CQU has retained its first in Queensland ranking for the most international full-degree students onshore and is now ranked second in Australia in this category.

The University’s model of export success has been the powerhouse behind its growth and global reach. Around 9000 international students from more than 120 overseas countries study with CQU. Almost half (more than $100 million) of the University’s total income is generated from export revenue.

CQU’s distributed network of campus operations range from five regional Queensland campuses to four CBD campuses in Australia and four offshore delivery sites in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Fiji, plus distance education.

The University has strong commercial partnerships for the delivery of international education activity, including those with C Management Services (an Australian-based company which is half-owned by CQU) and Raffles Education Corporation based in Singapore.

CQU marketing lecturer Angela Dobele (based in Rockhampton) has been a key player in CQU’s education export success. She has coordinated and lectured in courses which are delivered to international students here in Australia and other locations around the world.

“Sometimes I could be coordinating a course which is being delivered to 13 CQU locations around the world,” Ms Dobele explained.

“Delivering courses to international students is much the same as delivering to Australian students, however I leave out the Australianisms and speak more slowly to people with a first language other than English, but I would do that here in Rocky as well if the class had students from other language bases.

Ms Dobele coordinates marketing courses for thousands of CQU students globally from her base in Rockhampton. For some first year courses she could be coordinating 20 to 25 staff around the world.

This is quite different to her first role at CQU as a lecturer to 30 students at the CQU Gladstone campus. She said she always understood working for CQU was unlike many other universities because of its hugely successful export operations.

With Ms Dobele’s position comes international travel – about twice a year – which sees her delivering workshops in places like Singapore, China and Hong Kong.

“I have been very fortunate to meet heaps of people during my travel, the very vast majority have been exciting and interesting, passionate about their country and willing to share their stories.”.