Aqeeb Akram: over a decade in international education.

2014 · Before Australia

Education agencies

I was born in Bengaluru, India and graduated with a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering. I always dreamed of studying abroad, but I missed the admissions timeline, so I decided to make good use of the time and work first. It’s part of why I push students to start early.

I worked with 2 education agencies before I ever set foot in Australia. I was the one sitting across the table from the student, advising them about studying abroad. That early work showed me that most advice about studying abroad comes from people who have never been international students themselves, and have not lived, studied and worked in another country. At the time, neither had I.

2016 · Sydney

Macquarie University

In 2016, I moved to Sydney to study a Master of Management at Macquarie University. Finding somewhere to live was the hardest part of arriving. I stayed in an Airbnb, then with a friend for a few days, before I found the right place. I wish I had made the arrangements before I left, or had someone to advise me early on. That is why accommodation and the first few months are part of the support I offer students now.

I then went to work for the institutions I had once been placing students into. At Macquarie University, I advised international students through the full admissions cycle, from first enquiry to enrolment.

2018 to 2021 · Canberra

Australian National University

At the Australian National University, I built the Faculty of Science’s marketing function. As Manager, International Development, I then led an AUD 3 million offshore expansion that opened ANU offices in India, Indonesia and Vietnam.

In the same role, I managed 8 regional recruitment managers based in South Asia, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America, people who understood their own markets better than head office did.

At Macquarie and ANU, I worked in student recruitment and closely with admissions teams, so I understand how universities process applications from the inside.

2021 · NSW Government

Study NSW

From 2021, I worked with the New South Wales Government at Study NSW, a trade and investment arm that was part of the Premier’s Department, as Senior Manager, Partnerships and Engagement, and for periods as Acting Associate Director.

I led international education engagement and partnerships work for the state, building government-to-government frameworks and leading education missions across South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. I chaired the Marketing Consultation Committee, which brought leaders from the education sector together on one platform to work on the state’s marketing objectives. I led the implementation of the NSW International Education Action Plan, and ran the secretariat for the International Education Advisory Board, the minister’s advisory board of university Vice-Chancellors and sector chief executives. I briefed DFAT and Austrade officials, including newly appointed Consuls-General and Trade Commissioners, on education priorities.

Today · Dubai

Ironbark Advisory

After more than a decade in the sector, I moved to Dubai with my family to build something of my own. The relationships I built across Australian universities and government came with me. Now I put them to work for students deciding where to study, and for institutions trying to get it right in this region.

The course search on this site makes it clear what Australian universities offer international students. The course search on the Study Australia website lists every kind of course, including vocational education and training (VET), so it is hard to tell which ones are open to an international student at a university. This one lists only the courses the 42 universities and their pathway colleges register for international students, so you can see what is available to you without searching each university one by one.