Not just development, but protecting those who are most disadvantaged among the poor. Australia announced on Monday that it will be the first country to appoint a new Ambassador for Disability-Inclusive Development, as part of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and International Development Minister Melissa Parke’s efforts to boost efforts for “people with disability in developing countries to have access to the same opportunities as others and an equal say in the decisions that affect their communities.”

There is general agreement the core role of public diplomacy is to further foreign policy and to promote our national interests. The need to sustain a vibrant international education sector is clearly in our national interest.