The 2016 Council of International Students Australia conference

Meeting international students is not a hard thing to do but what about meeting international student delegates studying all over Australia? That opportunity is something special and that’s exactly what the Council of International Students Australia (CISA) conference was all about. CISA started in 2010 as an organisation that would represent the concerns and recommendations of international students throughout Australia. From the 5 – 8 of July, international students and education representatives from around Australia traveled to Darwin for the annual CISA conference to discuss their concerns and hopes for the future.

My friend and fellow Griffith Mate, Anand and myself were lucky enough to receive full sponsorship from Griffith International to attend the conference and we made sure our time at the event was productive. All the student delegates had vivid stories to tell about their life and studies in their respective universities across Australia. Almost everyone looked serious during the conference hours, but their chilled characters were surprising at the day ends.  We were particularly proud to be representing Griffith University as I believe, compared to other universities, we enjoy excellent facilities and services.

Overall, the conference met all expectations and the excellent networking opportunities need to be mentioned specifically. Since most of the attendees were student leaders and were representing respective university student organisations, the discussions among ourselves felt like a summit on international student issues. Most of us exchanged our Facebook or LinkedIn accounts to stay connected. I look forward to sharing our new connections and what we learnt with our friends at uni. The ambience experienced at the conference was fun-filled but I can vouch the motive of conference was to empower international students to live the conference motto – “Breaking down the barriers, facing the future together as one”.

– Babin