In this special edition of Global Horizons, Dirk Mulder sits down with Sunil Jaggi, Managing Director of Auscan Consultants and committee member of the Association of Australian Education Representatives in India.

Recorded on Larrakia country in Darwin during a StudyNT agent familiarisation visit, the conversation explores how the role of the education agent has changed over the past 25 years, from fax machines and postal applications to AI, ChatGPT and students arriving with far more information than ever before.

Sunil reflects on his own experience as a former international student, why agents remain important in helping students make informed decisions, and why “fit” matters more than rankings alone.

The episode also looks at the value of agent familiarisation tours, with Sunil explaining how visiting Darwin has changed his understanding of the Northern Territory, its lifestyle, its community, its institutions and the opportunities available to international students.

In this episode, we cover:

✅ Sunil Jaggi’s journey from international student to education agent
✅ How student recruitment has changed over 25 years
✅ Why agents still matter in the age of AI
✅ The importance of fit when choosing a course and destination
✅ What StudyNT’s Darwin familiarisation visit revealed
✅ Current student confusion around Australian policy changes

The conversation also touches on the T20 Top End cricket tournament, Darwin’s accessibility and community feel, and the uncertainty many students and agents are currently facing as Australia considers further changes to migration and international education settings.

Global Horizons is a production of The Global Society, Australia’s Learning Abroad support company. Our editor is Len Zamora and our distribution specialist is Gelo Ablao. Rob Malicki is the executive editor and host.

The podcast wouldn’t be possible without The Koala News, Australia’s international education news website. This episode is supported by Choosing Your Uni, Australia's unique, AI-powered platform that helps domestic and international students to find the right institution for them, and that helps Australian institutions to access new markets.

Global Horizons is the official podcast of the Australian International Education Conference. Registrations are open now: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://aiec.idp.com