Australia's higher education model offers lessons for Paraguay's internationalization efforts

Paraguay should consider adopting Australia's successful model for internationalizing higher education to diversify its economy, suggests Mario Romero, former Director of Paraguay's Investment and Exports Network (REDIEX).

Romero argues that Australia has effectively turned its universities into a significant source of foreign currency, making higher education its fourth-largest export sector. This achievement surpasses traditional industries like tourism and agriculture, generating approximately $37 billion USD in the 2024-2025 period, with $21 billion from student spending and $16 billion from tuition fees.

This success is attributed to decades of coordinated public policy involving the government, universities, and the private sector. International students now constitute about 27% of Australia's tertiary education enrollment, a figure significantly higher than the OECD average of 7%. In 2025, Australia hosted over 545,000 international university students, primarily from China, India, Nepal, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

Romero posits that Paraguay, facing financial constraints in its public sector and limited options for tax increases, could benefit immensely from emulating Australia's approach. By positioning itself as an international higher education destination, Paraguay could unlock new avenues for development and funding, addressing both educational and economic challenges.

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Paraguay aspires to diversify its productive matrix, it is time to replicate Australia's strategy, a country that turned its classrooms into one of its greatest sources of foreign exchange.