Melbourne’s sports culture inspires international students’ careers

A group of international students who want to blaze their careers in the sports industry have been inspired by Melbourne’s world-class facilities and unique sports culture.

Box Hill Institute (BHI) recently hosted 10 students and 2 lecturers from Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education (ITE), as part of a Global Education Network (GEN) cultural exchange program.

The students experienced Melbourne’s incredible sporting facilities with tours of the MCG, AAMI Park, Olympic Park and the Rod Laver Arena, and compared the education styles of Australia and Singapore – which has a similar population to Melbourne.

The ambitious students and lecturers even turned volunteers last weekend, assisting event organisers to prepare for the Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival.

Box Hill Institute CEO and Managing Director Grant Radford said: “We’re really pleased to hear how valuable this industry-focused trip has been for these wonderful students. Sharing perspectives and expertise is what makes GEN an effective exchange program, and we wish our Singaporean friends the very best in their future careers.”

Visiting ITE Lecturer Iwan Ismail said: “In Australian culture, sport is very much in the lifestyle of Australians but in Singapore sport is seen as a recreational hobby and not really a viable career for most unless you are an elite swimmer or elite bowler. I think it is Important for these students to understand that and see there are differences in other places.”

Visiting student and former Singaporean women’s soccer player Dini Dannisha Rusli, who studies Sports Management at ITE, is weighing up a career as a sports coach or physiotherapist.

“I think I can benefit a lot from this exchange program, based on how Australia teaches their students sports management,” Ms Rusli said. “The structure of education is really different to Singapore, and I have gained more knowledge on differences and how they study.”

Fellow visiting student Justyn Chan, who wants to be a coach, instructor or physiotherapist said: “I have a strong passion for sports science so I’m willing to learn what Box Hill Institute offers to students.”

BHI offers sport, fitness and recreation-minded students several diploma and certificate-level courses to further their careers. Learn more.

Global Education Network (GEN): Established in 2001, partners are Box Hill Institute, Australia; Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Canada; Kirkwood Community College, USA; and Institute of Technical Education, Singapore. The GEN program includes inbound and outbound student exchanges, international studies program design and development, and internationalisation of curriculum. This year’s international trip was the first since 2019.

Media contact: James O'Loan, j.oloan@boxhill.edu.au, 0481 067 557