Student Ambassadors Correspond To World
15 July, 2009
Lord Mayor Campbell Newman has today appointed 21 international students to ‘write home’ about Brisbane, in the latest bid to promote the city on the world stage.
The ‘Brisbane Student Ambassadors’ are from countries like Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Japan and represent 18 of Brisbane’s largest source markets which is a billion dollar industry for Brisbane’s economy.
Aged 18 to 45 years, the ambassadors study a wide range of education courses such as nursing, international business, media and the creative arts from school level to higher education.
The Lord Mayor said their remit was as simple as communicating their unique real-life experiences to family, friends and networks at home.
“There’s nothing better than a personal recommendation and all 21 students have shown ambition and creativity, making them ideal ambassadors for our city,” he said.
“They will use a specially designed multi-digital toolkit so that they can convey their Brisbane experiences in real-time in a relaxed and conversational manner.”
Cr Newman said the program would increase the city’s share of the international education export market.
“The international student market is an incredibly competitive business and Brisbane is competing against global cities to lure international students,” he said.
“Brisbane’s lifestyle, tropical climate, and friendliness, give Sydney, Melbourne and for that matter European cities like London a run for their money.
“A very strong message from the students for example that set us apart from our southern cousins, was that the city felt safe to them.”
The Lord Mayor said a larger student market would have flow on effects to supporting industries, such as tourism, hospitality and airlines.
“We hope these Student Ambassadors will become friends for life, becoming longterm advocates of Brisbane, and contributing to the city’s growth,” he said.
Brisbane Marketing, the economic development agency started the recruitment process two months ago under its Study Brisbane initiative, opening up nominations to Brisbane’s 51,000 plus international students.
[Ends] July 15
