Four Griffith University students have been named by Lord Mayor Graham Quirk as 2013 Brisbane International Student Ambassadors.
The ambassadors from Griffith Universityinclude Environmental Engineering student Emad Elbabaa from Libya, International Business students Marlene Kastner from Germany and Mun Yee (Debbie) Lee from Singapore, plus Commerce student Sungsil Kim of South Korea.
Emad is the first student from Libya to participate in the program, whilst Marlene served as an ambassador in 2012 and returns to the role again in 2013.
“Brisbane has 33 passionate new advocates from 29 countries. They will share what it’s like to study and live in our city,” said Cr Quirk at the City Hall ceremony on 9 April.
“As well as coming to grips with navigating unfamiliar campuses and a new public transport system, they will see the Brisbane Broncos play, feed dolphins at Tangalooma, visit the Gallery of Modern Art, tour the EKKA and much more.
“The ambassadors will participate in media interviews, volunteer at multicultural events, and assist with the hosting of official visiting delegations, particularly from Brisbane’s Sister Cities.
The student ambassador program was established by Brisbane Marketing’s Study Brisbane (www.studybrisbane.com) program in 2009 and is open to both domestic and international students in Brisbane.
“The 2013 ambassadors were selected from 178 applicants; a 140 per cent increase since the program began.
“International education is our biggest export industry, injecting $5.1 billion into the local economy and generating more than 20,000 local jobs.
“These enthusiastic international student ambassadors will help us grow the industry even further by promoting Brisbane as a leading study destination in their countries of origin.”
The students in the 2013 program are from countries including China, India, Vietnam, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Singapore, Brazil, Colombia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iran, Japan, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Spain, Sri Lanka and the USA; and for the first time in the program’s history it includes students from Bosnia, Cambodia, El Salvador, Italy, Libya, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
Cr Quirk said the honorary appointments were for one year. In that time, the ambassadors will use a variety of social media and digital tools, including Facebook, Twitter and the recently relaunched Study Brisbane website, to communicate their real life experiences.
“International students contribute so much to Brisbane and not just on an economic level. They help create a cosmopolitan, vibrant city and strengthen our network with cities around the globe, creating lifelong relationships,” he said.
The student ambassador program was established by Brisbane Marketing’s Study Brisbane (www.studybrisbane.com) program in 2009 and is open to both domestic and international students in Brisbane.