Victoria is committed to providing all students with equitable access and services that are welcoming, safe and inclusive. We are proud of Victoria’s diverse and multicultural international student communities, both onshore and offshore, and across Melbourne and regional Victoria.

Studying overseas can be both a challenging and rewarding experience, and Victoria offers a safe and welcoming environment for students to grow personally and professionally. As students navigate a new country with different government and education systems, often without a support network, they discover new parts of themselves and build the problem-solving skills, initiative, adaptability and resilience that enables them to succeed in an increasingly complex world.

Through well-established community partnerships and a cross-sectoral approach, Study Melbourne programs and services work to ensure Victoria is where all international students are welcomed, can explore who they are, and can be proud and live their life to the fullest. This includes women, the diverse LGBTIQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, intersex and queer) communities, people of colour and all faiths, people with disability, and those from a broad spectrum of socio-economic backgrounds.

Victoria is committed to empowering women and gender-diverse international students as leaders and decision-makers. There are opportunities for these international students to strengthen their networks, promote equal access to opportunities, and showcase their voices in Victoria through programs such as STEM Sisters and Future Forte.

The Victorian Government is committed to helping students thrive by making Melbourne and regional Victoria more accessible and student-friendly through initiatives that support improved safety, liveability, and affordability. This includes funding a variety of projects and programs through the Study Melbourne Inclusion Program that support and promote the wellbeing of international students . With projects delivered across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria, international students can access programs to support mental and physical health, self-development, volunteering and leadership opportunities, community engagement and safety. International students also enjoy Victoria’s exceptional visitor economy experiences and world-class major events, spanning sports, arts and culture, food, nature-based experiences and more.

Aims

• Ensure all students enjoy studying and living in Victoria, and feel a strong sense of welcome, safety, belonging and connectedness to the local community.
• Build the capacity and capability of Victoria’s education ecosystem to offer inclusive and culturally appropriate services.
• Support greater engagement with students studying with regional providers and ensure all students in Victoria have equal access to wellbeing services, and employability and leadership programs.

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