ANC Australian Education Fair – Uncovering Avenues for Higher Education

Introducing an array of endless higher education opportunities to students after O/Levels and A/Levels to study in fabulous destinations in Australia, ANC Education brought together several world class Australian universities to one platform at the recently concluded ANC Australian Education Fair, which attracted an overwhelming number of students and parents in quest to find quality higher education.

The Fair saw participation of students from diverse education levels and backgrounds coming from many parts of the country, making use of this distinct opportunity to meet representatives and faculty from many reputable Australian universities and colleges – which included Deakin University, Southern Cross University, Melbourne Institute of Technology (MIT), University of South Australia (UniSA), La Cordon Blue, La Trobe University, Macquarie University, James Cook University, James Cook University Brisbane Campus, Western Sydney University, Flinders University, and many more.

Speaking of the event, Upeka Jayasignhe, the Program Head of the Direct Placement to Australian Universities at ANC, said, ANC has always worked with the vision to promote quality education in Sri Lanka, giving local students access to international universities in world class students destinations like Australia. “At ANC, we work closely with many reputable Australian universities and bring our partner university representatives down to Sri Lanka to help local students and parents gather information required to make an informed decision when selecting a university. We are proud to say that annually, a growing number of students find direct placements to Australian universities through ANC,” she noted.

At the fair, many students and parents were seen lining up to talk to the representatives who spent quality time providing all the required information on suitable programs and education destinations. They obtained information on scholarships and bursaries, and gained benefits of application free-waivers, comprehensive and personalized visa guidance. Students also received the rare chance of submitting on-the-spot applications to their preferred universities in Australia.

Admiring the efforts of ANC, Lakshman Perera, a former lecturer who was at the event added, he recommends ANC as a reliable education partner to students who look for higher education options abroad. “I came with one of my students to the fair as he has been interested in studying his degree in Australia. Rather than going to various agencies and being played out, it’s best to go through ANC which is a well-recognized college in Sri Lanka with direct university connections. ANC also has a high rate of VISA success,” he pointed out.

Kasun Tharanga, a student who was interested in completing his degree in biomedical science in Australia added, the event has been of imperative importance. “I received a lot of information about Australian Universities and the pathways that they provide. The representatives provided an in-depth view of what is it like to live and study in Australia. They also have fantastic scholarship options,” he stated.

Dulanga Weerathunga, another student in search of education opportunities abroad said, this education fair is a good opportunity to receive firsthand information from universities. “It is always good to talk to the universities directly to clear doubts about application process, VISA process, living cost etc., for us to make a well-versed decision,” she said.

A keen parent who had been zigzagging across the hall to meet numerous university representatives added that he intended to send his daughter to Australia for higher education as it is a popular student destination with recognized universities and quality education. “My daughter sat for her London A/Levels this year and is now looking for a university abroad to study for her degree in bio science. We spoke to several universities and they have a lot of interesting choices,” he said.

Nishika De Silva was among the crowd, wanting to find a fitting option to further her studies in psychology. “Australia seems to have better options both in terms of academics and career. They also offer work experience in my field. This is a very good platform to find out more about the available choices without rushing to make a decision,” she added.

Amongst many, a group of students from Royal College, Colombo, sitting for A/ Levels this year in Commerce Stream also walked into the fair to explore options available for them after their exam. “I have the idea to go abroad for studies after A/ Levels but I am still indecisive as to what option I should pick. At the fair, I came across an array of very good choices,” Akasha Iddawela, one of the students added.

Comments from University Representatives:

“Thanks very much to ANC for the excellent organization of this event. Everything ANC generally does is well organized and well promoted. It is great to work with ANC and further develop our relationship. This event helped us meet high quality students - which is really great.” Ms Gayle Hunt International Recruitment Officer University of South Australia (UniSA)

“This is a good platform to discuss directly with students about Australian education. ANC organizes education fairs of this nature at least two times a year – which go hand in hand with Australian university intakes. ANC is doing a very good job directing students in the right path. We currently have several ANC student performing very well at the university.” Mr. Kunal Malhotra Manager of South Asia MIT Australia (Melbourne & Sydney)

“We are a French culinary art and hospitality management institute in operation for the last 120 years. Over the last couple of years, we have noticed a growing trend of Sri Lankan students wanting to pursue a career in hospitality industry. ANC is building more and more options for Sri Lankan students by partnering and signing articulation agreements with most of the famous universities in Australia.” Mr. Abhishek Sharma Hut Manager – Indian Subcontinent Le Cordon Blue

“More than the numbers of students, I am impressed by the quality of students attending the fair. Most of the student I came across know exactly what they are looking for and are eligible to apply to Macquarie University. Therefore, it is easy to provide them guidance.” Ms. Zarana Shah International Country Manager of South Asia Macquarie University

“Southern Cross University is amongst the top ranking universities in Australia. We are the number one university favorable among international students for the last few consecutive years. We recently started working with ANC to enroll students from Sri Lanka. We look forward to this partnership with ANC which is a wellknown product in Sri Lanka with well experienced counselors.” Mr. Chami Jayamaha, Country Manager of Sri Lanka Southern Cross University Australia

“We are happy to be here today to support ANC, a very good representative of our college and our university. With our partnership with ANC, we look forward to welcoming more Sri Lanka students to Deakin - because they are good achievers and fit into the community very well.” Carol Glover Representative Deakin College

“During the fair, we were able to counsel many students from diverse backgrounds. We have several partnerships and articulations in Sri Lanka with ANC. We wish ANC great success and we hope to continue working with them.” David Samuel Country Head - Sri Lanka Deakin University

“Our university is among the top 2% of the world universities. We have a lot of scholarships that can benefit many students. ANC has been actively recruiting students to study in various study destinations in Australia. And therefore, we are glad to be associated with ANC.” Representative James Cook University Brisbane “Our university is ranked amongst the top 400 universities in the world. Sri Lankan community is now amongst the top 10 international communities in the university. We work in two partnerships with ANC. As part of that ANC represent La Trobe University in Sri Lanka and guide students through the admission and the VISA process on behalf of us. These education fairs help us meet students coming from different education backgrounds in search of diverse programs.” Mr. Amit Malhotra Associate Director-South Asia La Trobe University

“The quality of ANC staff, their organization and counselling is very impressive. ANC has been in the industry for a very long time and their extent of knowledge in the industry is massive as they have worked with many universities worldwide. By organizing education fairs of this nature, ANC helps us reach out to students” Mr. Aditya Vaddiparthi International Development and Relationship Manager James Cook University

“ANC is a new agent of our university. We are keen to build a good relationship with ANC and look forward to a partnership agreement. Here at the fair, I have met several potential candidates – this is quite a good platform to meet students.” Mr. Mohsen Soliman Ahmed Senior International Regional Manager University of Western Sydney / UWS College “ANC is our university approved education agency and an active representative for the university to guide students through the application process and VISA process. At the fair, I have met very keen prospective students with good grades – it’s fabulous.” Ms. Patricia Martinez International Marketing Manager Queensland University of Technology