Speeches
Friday, 24 October 2025
StudyAdelaide Awards
I am delighted to join you for the 15th annual StudyAdelaide International Student Awards.
As joint patrons, my husband Rod and I are pleased actively to support StudyAdelaide and its many efforts to support and celebrate international students, not just here but also overseas.
This year, during my official visits to Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and India, I was proud to join StudyAdelaide events and to be reminded of how highly regarded Adelaide is as an education destination.
During these events it was my pleasure to meet a range of alumni and to see the connections they continue to develop and grow between their country and ours.
I note that here tonight we have 73 international education agents from 14 countries. I warmly welcome you to Adelaide.
International students make a vital contribution to South Australia—economically, culturally, and socially.
I thank you for bringing vibrancy and diversity to our city, and I am heartened by the fact that over 37 percent of international students volunteer in some capacity within our community.
In 2024, South Australia recorded 59,000 student enrolments from more than 130 countries.
This speaks to Adelaide's reputation as a place where students can thrive.
I thank each of you for choosing South Australia and for enriching our State through your presence.
Friends,
This evening we celebrate the outstanding work of individuals and organisations from across the international student community.
I congratulate students in the Academic Excellence categories, from school level through to postgraduate studies, as well as those recognised for Community Engagement and Peer Support.
Your achievements demonstrate remarkable resilience, courage, and adaptability as you navigate cultural differences, language barriers, and the challenges of being far from home.
I am pleased to see that the Rising Star and Outstanding Alumni awards celebrate the important contributions South Australian graduates make in their careers, both here and around the world.
I also thank StudyAdelaide for recognising the efforts of student associations who support international students during their studies, as well as employers who make a concerted effort to provide work to international students.
Students,
In addition to the quality education you receive, a significant asset you will take away from Adelaide is the networks you are developing, often with students from countries in the Indo-Pacific.
These networks will enable you to continue growing ties between your home countries and South Australia and more widely across our region. I warmly encourage you to do so.
Through your studies, your work, your community engagement, and the friendships you build, you are deepening connections that will have a profound impact for years to come.
In the meantime, Rod and I look forward to welcoming many of you to the Christmas Garden Party at Government House in December, as we have done in previous years.
To the StudyAdelaide board, staff and ambassadors, I thank you sincerely for your dedicated work, supporting international students to have the best possible experience of their studies in Adelaide.
Students, I wish you continued success in your studies, your careers, and your lives here in Adelaide and beyond. I hope and trust you will always remain connected to South Australia.