The TPP provides a strong platform to expand Australian education and training services exports to TPP countries, including priority markets in South East Asia and Latin America. This covers courses delivered online by Australian institutions, Australian education professionals working overseas, foreign students studying at an Australian educational institution or a combination of these methods.

Australia's education-related travel services exports in 2015-16 were worth $19.9 billion, with exports to TPP countries accounting for 16.2 per cent of these services (valued at $3.2 billion). In 2015-16, Vietnam and Malaysia were Australia's 3rd and 4th largest education services export markets respectively.

Education services provided to international students have broad economic benefits beyond tuition fees. In 2014-15, onshore international education activity directly and indirectly contributed $17.1 billion to the economy.¹

Key outcomes

Online education

Online education presents a growing opportunity to provide greater numbers of students with flexible, high-quality and internationally-recognised skills and qualifications. Australian universities and vocational institutions are well-placed to deliver education services, including online education services, and will benefit from guaranteed access to most TPP markets and significant new opportunities in markets where online learning is at an early stage of development.

Alongside conclusion of the TPP, Australia and Vietnam have agreed to further cooperation in the education sector through a pilot program that will enable Australian universities to provide online courses to Vietnamese students.

University campuses and vocational education

Australian universities and vocational education providers will be able to offer a wider range of courses to Vietnamese students, including new and emerging technical disciplines.

Australian universities and vocational education providers seeking to establish or expand a campus or institution will also benefit from commitments offered by Brunei Darussalam, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru and Vietnam that will lock in existing market openness and guarantee that future liberalisation will be captured as a TPP commitment.

International schools

Australian providers of international school services will benefit from the following commitments by TPP countries:

• Malaysia has guaranteed that international schools can be 100 per cent foreign owned, improving on commitments under the Malaysia Australia Free Trade Agreement (MAFTA);
• Vietnam has locked in the current percentage of Vietnamese students permitted to be enrolled in international schools and guaranteed that any future market reforms which increase the percentage of Vietnamese students permitted in international schools will be captured as a TPP commitment; and
• Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru and Vietnam have guaranteed access for Australian international schools.

Australian teachers, academics and other staff of education institutions

The TPP will deliver improved access for Australian teachers, academics and other staff of education institutions. Highlights include:

• Australian universities and vocational education providers will be able to transfer faculty and other staff to offshore campuses for extended periods;
• Independent Australian education professionals seeking contracts to work at overseas education institutions will have guaranteed access with streamlined visa arrangements and longer periods of stay, including in Vietnam, Malaysia and Mexico;
• Japan has offered commitments additional to the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement (JAEPA), which will guarantee access for Australian academics to take up teaching and research positions at Japanese universities and technology colleges; and
• Independent Australian education marketing professionals and education consultants will be guaranteed access to temporarily work in Malaysia.

Government Procurement

Australia education service providers will now be able to bid for government procurement contracts in TPP countries, including:

• primary, secondary, and higher education services in Brunei Darussalam, Japan, Canada, Malaysia, Mexico and Peru;
• adult education services in Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Japan, Malaysia and Peru; and
• research and development services in Brunei Darussalam and Peru.

^{1. Department of Education & Training - The value of international education prepared by Deloittle Access Economics↩}