We are creating Asia-capable Australians. But are we keeping them?

Australia has spent years asking how it can become more Asia-capable. I was in the early years of high school when the 2012 Australia in the Asian Century White Paper (Opens in new window) was released. I remember my history teacher telling our class that Asia would shape Australia’s future, and that we would need language skills and cultural understanding to engage with the region.

That message stayed with me. It influenced my decision to study Asian Studies at university.

More than a decade later, as a young professional, I find myself asking whether Australia’s policy settings, education system and workforce have reinforced that ambition. Recent attention through the parliamentary inquiry into Australia’s Asia capability (Opens in new window) has renewed the focus on these issues. Yet one question remains largely unanswered: what happens to Australians once they acquire them?

A former colleague, a recipient of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (DFAT) New Colombo Scholarship (Opens in new window) to Beijing, developed professional-level Mandarin proficiency while gaining personal growth through cultural immersion. After graduating, they chose to return to China, believing their language skills and professional network would be better valued outside Australia.

Hearing this highlighted a gap in Australia’s Asia literacy conversation.
We have become focused on producing graduates with Asia-capable skills, but we know far less about where these Australians go and how their skills are used. How well are we retaining and utilising these capabilities? Where do these graduates go after developing their skills? Are their language abilities and regional expertise being used in Australia?

Australia has traditionally focused on expanding the pipeline (Opens in new window): increasing the number of Australians with language skills and international experiences, with mixed success (Opens in new window). These programs have been measured through indicators such as participation in language programs, overseas exchanges, university partnerships and government and business initiatives.

Australia has in parallel developed various ways to measure Asia capability initiatives. Data collected by the Department of Education (Opens in new window), education and scholarship providers (Opens in new window) and DFAT (Opens in new window) track participation in language education and international mobility programs.

However, as this capability pipeline matures, a new set of questions emerges. Australia has limited longitudinal data on the pathways of alumni: where they live and work, how their education and in-country experiences have supported Australia’s economic, social and strategic priorities over time.