Rowan Courtney-O’Connor is new CEO of the International College of Management, Sydney in Manly
Manly’s business college has a new leader at the helm whose first job is to work out how to bring 1000 international students into Australia safely in the middle of a pandemic.
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The new boss at Manly’s business college says his first job is to try and get the Government to agree on a plan on how to bring back international students.
Rowan Courtney-O’Connor, the new chief executive at International College of Management, Sydney (ICMS) in Manly, said they usually have around 1,000 overseas students, which make up about 50 per cent of their intake.
However, most of their foreign students returned to home when COVID broke out.
A significant number of them are continuing their studies online.
But Mr Courtney-O’Connor said it was vital for the college and Manly’s economy to work out an acceptable plan with the Government on how to bring students back.
He said ICMS – along with other educational institutions – had submitted a plan to the Government.
“We have put forward a COVID safe pilot proposal to get that moving,” he said.
“The suggestion is for students to be allowed in via hotel quarantine or through testing prior to leaving and on arrival here.”
Mr Courtney-O’Connor said other countries such as the UK and Canada had already activated plans to bring back their foreign students.
ICMS also has runs Aspire Institute, International Sport College Australia and Aspire English.
Mr Courtney-O’Connor, who was previously the chief operating officer, started his new role as CEO on September 15.
The former chief executive, Dr Dominic Szambowski, has taken up a new job at another institute.
Mr Courtney-O’Connor is well qualified.
He has an Executive Masters in Business Administration (EMBA) from the University of Sydney, and over 15 year of senior management experience and 10 years of higher education experience.
He has also worked closely with Dr Szambowski in all areas of operating and leading a higher education institution.
“It is an honour to build upon the solid foundation Dominic laid at ICMS, and to take the college forward as we aim for further growth, as well as consolidation of what we have already achieved,” he said.
The college, founded in 1996 as a career-focused higher education institute, has campuses on Darley Rd, Manly’s CBD and in the city.
It offers a wide range of industry-leading, higher education qualifications at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.