The general agreement on trade in services and educational services: an Australian perspective

This paper discusses the implications for higher education of the World Trade Organization negotiations towards the General Agreement on Trade in Services from the perspective of Australian educational institutions. Australia has been a fast-starter in the export of education services both onshore and offshore, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. Australia actively supports further trade liberalization whether multilateral, regional or bilateral. The reforms in Australian higher education since the late 1980s have positioned institutions relatively well to compete successfully in the new global market.