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Everyone wants to get the best education. A much heard cliché says 'knowledge is power' and I agree with this. Ideally, learning promises to lift people out of poverty and improve life outcomes. For students trying to choose which campus to attend this decision can be difficult to make. When it comes to choosing an overseas campus to study at the decision becomes even more complex. This week I received an email from a reader who sought clarification regarding Australia's education system. Primarily, the issue was whether it was important to select a university based on reputation alone. For example here in China most students and their families dream of getting into Peking University or Tsinghua. Is this the situation in Australia similar? Fortunately, the answer is no. From my experience students, families, communities and the wider business sector have trust in our campuses – be they world famous or lesser known. As a result there are pros and cons for choosing to attend any campus, be it in downtown Sydney or in tropical, less built up Darwin. It was a good question and one that particularly strikes at the heart of Australia's competitive advantage in regards to education provision in the global marketplace. Essentially in my country the government has created the Australian Qualifications Framework. This set of structures requires all universities and vocational colleges to meet agreed upon standards. Not only does it provide bridges between the two sectors but also between various campuses themselves. | 
