14Education Abroad Field: Forum Standards

Austral Education Group is a member of the Forum on Education Abroad alongside other long-standing memberships in NAFSA, the Executive MBA Council (EMBAC), AACSB, EFMD, and AMBA. Austral embeds these recognized benchmarks into every study tour and academic immersion managed across its global network.

• 14.2.1 Mission and Learning Goals (Clause 4.1)

  Austral designs every global immersion to support the sending institution's academic mission and specific course learning objectives. To help business schools capture measurable evidence of student growth and satisfy international accreditation standards (e.g., AACSB Assurance of Learning and AMBA criteria), Austral offers the Learning Impact Framework (LIF) as an add-on academic service.
• 14.2.2 Collaboration and Commercial Transparency (Clause 4.2)

  Managed through the "Austral Planning Journey" (a 6-stage milestone protocol beginning 6–18 months prior to travel), Austral collaborates transparently with faculty and study abroad directors. All scope items, payment terms, and itemized program fees are explicitly disclosed in USD in advance.
• 14.2.3 Ethics and Responsible Operations (Clause 4.3)

  Austral is a Certified B Corporation™, independently audited by B Lab to verify adherence to rigorous environmental, social, governance (ESG), and ethical supply chain standards. Austral promotes mutual respect for host communities and integrates real-world sustainability challenges into student itineraries.
• 14.2.4 Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (Clause 4.4)

  Austral enforces strict internal Equality and Diversity policies. To ensure universal access, Austral’s primary student technology platforms—including the Travefy mobile travel app and the Regpack online registration portal—comply fully with WCAG 2.0 A&AA and Section 508 accessibility standards. Furthermore, Austral conducts pre-trip accessibility audits to customize hotel rooms, venue access, and motor coach transport for participants with physical, neurodivergent, or dietary needs.

• 14.3.1 Health, Safety, Security, and Risk Management (Clause 5.1 & 5.2)

  Safety is managed by a dedicated Safety & Risk Management team that continuously monitors global threat levels by aggregating real-time intelligence from the CDC, local embassies, International SOS, Crisis24, and WorldAware. Operational disruptions are managed using a structured Incident Response Model (Assess, Respond, Report) and a four-tiered escalation hierarchy (On-Site Team, Risk Management, Emergency Response Team, and Crisis Response Team led directly by the CEO).
• 14.3.2 Delivery Partner Vetting and Quality Assurance

  Austral enforces strict annual quality audits across all local suppliers. Accommodation is restricted to 2–3 preferred properties per star level per city, each required to complete an exhaustive Hotel Safety and Security Checklist every 12 months. Private coach providers must maintain a minimum of US$1,000,000 in liability insurance, undergo annual physical fleet inspections, and document driver training. Post-program feedback from faculty and students is compiled into an executive Quality Dashboard, where Austral enforces a target score of 6.5 out of 7.0 across all logistical and academic categories.
• 14.3.3 Data Protection and Privacy (Clause 5.1)

  Operating under a data-minimization model compliant with GDPR and PCI DSS regulations, participant data is restricted to authorized roles and secured on access-controlled platforms (Google Workspace and Regpack) certified to ISO 27001, SOC, and PCI standards.

• 14.4.1 Pre-Program Preparation (Clause 6.1)

  Austral collects student medical, dietary, and emergency data via secure registration links. Pre-departure support includes customized orientation videos, destination briefings, packing guides, and step-by-step visa processing support provided through a global partnership with VisaHQ.
• 14.4.2 On-Site Support and Academic Execution (Clause 6.2)

  On-ground execution is managed by bilingual Program Managers and First Aid/CPR-certified Program Coordinators who accompany groups daily. Senior-level executive visits and corporate meetings are sourced through a global Salesforce CRM database that successfully booked 3,703 executive speakers in 2024, specifically reserving C-suite leaders for MBA and postgraduate cohorts.
• 14.4.3 Post-Program Reflection and Sustainability Impact (Clause 6.3)

  Post-trip wrap-ups include formal faculty debriefs and participant evaluation surveys. In partnership with Sustainable Travel International (STI), Austral provides audited post-trip carbon footprint reports and offsets corporate emissions through Gold Standard and Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) projects.

Austral conducts all commercial and academic activities in full alignment with the Forum’s Code of Ethics. This includes maintaining truthful representations of operational capacity, managing regional booking limits via strict "Program Unit" inventory controls to prevent service degradation, ensuring fair remuneration for global staff, and fostering ethical, mutually beneficial interactions with host communities and local social enterprises.