Professor Chris Ziguras

Chris is a leading authority on the globalisation of education, particularly the ways in which regulatory agencies, markets, education providers and other actors shape international education, training and the recognition of professional qualifications. His research and industry leadership has been recognised in regular invitations to speak at national and international forums, and awards including: IEAA Excellence Award for Distinguished Contribution to International Education, 2022; Tony Adams Visiting Senior Scholar Fellowship, Centre for Higher Education Internationalisation, Universitá Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, Milan, 2013; Vice-Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award, RMIT University, 2011; Dwight Final Examination Prize (Combined Honours), University of Melbourne, 1992, awarded to the top double major honours student in the Faculty of Arts; and the Australian Teachers of Media (ATOM) Award for Best Educational Resource, 1998.

Chris' research deals broadly with the internationalisation of higher education, across four main areas of focus:

His primary area of focus for over two decades has been higher education policy studies, and in particular the global diffusion of policy ideas and regulatory approaches. He is interested in how potential problems are understood within different systems, and the political, technical and cultural factors that shape national and institutional responses. I have worked on a diverse range of topics, from quality assurance in Cambodia to student accommodation policy in Melbourne, and from EU capacity-building in Latin American universities to World Bank influence on HE policy in Tunisia.

A second area of focus has been the regulation of cross-border educational flows, including consideration of the treatment of foreign providers and programs, student visa policies, the education-migration nexus, scholarship programs, and so on. The bulk of his commissioned research and engagement with professional and industry associations has dealt with such questions. 

His third area of focus concerns higher education teaching and learning, including an ongoing interest in the ways in which digital technology is transforming learning and teaching, as well as work on academic development for internationalised learning environments. 

Recently Chris has been developing a new area of focus arising out of a series of DFAT-funded projects on the international recognition of professional qualifications in APEC. This has involved the creation in 2021 of a comprehensive database of mutual recognition agreements. The next phase of this program is examining the impediments to professional mobility across the Asia Pacific, which is a significant factor in shaping educational mobility and graduate opportunities, an important long-term driver of harmonisation of education systems and professional standards.

• PhD, Political Science, Monash University
• Graduate Certificate in Higher Education, Monash University
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours), University of Melbourne

Chris has worked extensively with industry bodies, professional associations and government agencies on a wide range of projects and partnerships to jointly undertake research, teaching, professional development, policy advocacy, student mobility and work placements. In recent years he has worked on projects and partnerships with the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Australian Red Cross, the British Council and Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation.

Chris was President of the International Education Association of Australia 2015-18 and for over a decade has contributed to the Association's work, particularly in relation to research, professional development and policy advocacy. He is an IEAA Senior Fellow and in 2022 received the IEAA Award for Distinguished Contribution to International Education.

Current engagement roles include: 

• Chair of Academic Board, Centre for Higher Education Internationalisation, Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, Milan
• Principal Research Fellow, Australian APEC Study Centre, Melbourne
• Honorary Senior Fellow, Centre for Study of Higher Education, University of Melbourne

Professional membership:

• International Education Association of Australia
• Australian Institute of International Affairs
• Higher Education Research and Development Association of Australasia
• Oceania Comparative and International Education Society