Studying abroad is all exciting but can also be very expensive and concerning for parents whose children will be miles away for months on end in a foreign country.
Is this the right school for me or for my child? Is the fee within our budget and do they provide quality? Who will provide support and help settle in? What about accommodation and meals? What other options are available? And what is the total cost including health insurance and visas?
These are some of the myriad of questions faced by parents and students considering studying abroad options.
Most times they will have to enquire with different institutes, attend road shows, get conned by foreign marketing agents with no educational background or stand in long queues to get a visa. And many times they will end up paying extra and not get the best possible options that are available for their unique situation.
A ONE-STOP-SHOP
Well, that is no longer the case with the advent of PNG Study Abroad – a one-stop-shop for all your study abroad requirements, established four years ago by Mitsuki Sato, originally from Japan and now residing in PNG.
Seeing the lack of support for both students and parents looking for the best future by study abroad options, Mistuki set up what is now PNG Study Abroad, located at 5Mile in Port Moresby and has big plans for 2020 and beyond.
PNG Study Abroad provides the best possible options for parents and their children after one-on-one consultations to better understand their needs. They also provide free assessments through their website.
Many PNG students and their families have and are benefiting from the professional services of PNG Study Abroad.
“I realised that there was no support and lots of unfortunate and unsuccessful stories. I saw the need for help so decided to set up my own education agency,” she said.
She registered what was initially Pacific Education Agency Consulting Services (PEACS), now PNG Study Abroad and acquired certification as a Qualified Education Agent Counsellor (QEAC) in Australia.
“It was still a new concept in PNG being an education agent. The first three years was really hard, 4th and 5th year started picking up,” Mitsuki said.
She started with placements in Australia where globally recognised education and qualifications are offered to international students.
She actively looks for more study abroad opportunities and last year also got Fiji and Japan included in her Study Abroad options.
“It’s all about honesty and giving genuine advice to help those wanting to study abroad successfully, showing them the best options considering their individual interests and funding availability.
PNG Study Abroad does ‘one-on-one’ consultations and individual assessments on a case by case basis providing clients all the information necessary to make informed decisions.
“I show them a realistic fact and not a dream that leads them to a failure so I focus on giving the best and doing it properly,” she said.
‘It is challenging as a business, although the best moment is when I send off students overseas and they return and thank me, that is greatly rewarding...,” Mitsuki said.
From attention to detail and proper assessments procedure, she reveals that PNG Study Abroad has sent more than 50 students overseas successfully.
PLANS FOR 2020
For 2020, Study Abroad is looking at introducing a decent medical program that can be used in PNG as the medical schools in Australia and even PNG are quite expensive according to Mitsuki.
Other plans for 2020 include:
Finding more reasonable and decent quality education options outside of pacific regions ie Europe
Reaching out to people outside of Port Moresby
Discussions on involvement with private companies on Scholarship Management Services
The focus has always been to help students finding the best study options to realise their dreams and making sure that the qualification they obtained is needed in PNG.
PNG Study Abroad currently represents globally recognised education providers in Australia, Fiji and Japan as well as working closely with the government agencies to maintain its quality service and standard.
Growing up Mitsuki participated in short-term study abroad programs and also studied as an international student at TAFE Queensland and the University of the Sunshine Coast where she was later employed as an Administration Officer, experiencing and excelling in the broad area of Student Administration for seven years.
In 2013, she moved to Port Moresby and even though there was so much negative news about PNG on the international media but arriving here (in her own words) ‘I fell in love with the country’.
With PNG Study Abroad you can expect genuine assistance through one-on-one consultation to empower you to choose the best Study Abroad option for you and your family.
