Overview

In response to proposed legislation that would limit international student enrolments, NAPS is carefully evaluating how such changes might impact our institution and community. NAPS remains firmly opposed to these caps, recognising the invaluable contributions international students make to the social, intellectual, and cultural vibrancy of our campuses and cities. Our commitment to welcoming international students and providing a world-class education remains steadfast. We will continue to seek and support talented students from around the globe and encourage prospective international students to apply.

Importantly, these proposed caps do not currently affect students already enrolled in our graduate programmes or those pursuing an undergraduate degree who plan to continue directly into our graduate programmes..

We will keep this page updated with the latest developments regarding the proposed legislation. Please check back regularly for new information.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

 1. What is the international student cap at NAPS, and why has it been implemented?

 An international student cap is a limit on the number of international students that can enrol in a higher education institution. In Australia, the government has announced that the cap for 2025 will be 270,000 for all new international students except for a few exempt cases.

 NAPS aims to maintain a balanced, high-quality learning environment. By implementing the caps on international student enrolments, we will ensure access to resources and support services for all students, fostering a diverse and sustainable academic community.

2. How will these changes impact my application to NAPS?

 While NAPS remains open to international applications, students may experience increased competitiveness during the admissions process. We encourage applicants to complete their applications early to secure a spot in NAPS.

3. Are there any priority admissions criteria for international students?

 NAPS assesses all applicants holistically, but students with higher academic achievements, English proficiency, and alignment with NAPS’s values may have an advantage. Specific guidelines can be found on our admissions page.

4. How will current students be affected by the cap?

 The cap will not affect current NAPS students’ status. However, some adjustments in class sizes and availability of elective courses may occur. NAPS remains dedicated to offering all students a robust educational experience.

5. What support services are available for international students impacted by these changes?

 NAPS offers a wide range of support services, including academic counselling, and mental health resources, to ensure that all students can thrive in their academic journey.

6. I have an offer to NAPS for 2025. What should I do?

If you have an unconditional offer for Semester 1, 2025, we strongly encourage you to accept it to secure your place. For students with a conditional offer for Semester 1, 2025, we recommend meeting any outstanding conditions as soon as possible and then proceeding to accept the offer.

For additional support, please contact usadmissions@naps.edu.au

Updates and Important Notices

NAPS will continue monitoring government policies and the needs of our student body. We encourage students and agents to refer to this page regularly for the latest updates.

Towards Continuous Improvement Along Your Professional Journey 

The act of being a ‘professional’ is not and endpoint, but a lifelong journey on which you continue to learn, unlearn as you consider new evidence, and then learn again.  This view is supported by research in education as well as other branches of science, including psychology. Building one’s repertoire of professional skills involves constantly strengthening of existing connections and the generation of new ones.  

Importance of testing  

In converting study into mastering new knowledge perhaps the single most important strategy is to regularly ‘test’ yourself as you go.  Reading and re-reading is not nearly as effective as testing yourself.  Taking tests on the new material multiple times will result in neuro-coding, i.e. locking it into your mind.  So, the pattern should be study, then test. Study some more, test again.   

It is important that you see testing in a positive light. Recognise that emotion plays an important role in learning and motivation to learn.  See testing as ‘learning’ not ‘evaluation’ 

Focus / alertness / motivation   

Attention and focus are vital. Applying our attention and focus turns on the nervous system.  Be honest with yourself.  Focus and attention involve commitment and hard work.  Successful students can force themselves to focus. They commit to put in the hard work. They understand that learning is meant to feel difficult.  It requires effort. You can do hard things.  Moreover, doing hard things is vital for personal and professional growth.   

As philosopher Will Durant argues: 

 “The golden mean, however, is not, like the mathematical mean, an exact average of two precisely calculable extremes; it fluctuates with the collateral circumstances of each situation, and discovers itself only to mature and flexible reason. Excellence is an art won by training and habituation: we do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have these because we have acted rightly; “these virtues are formed in man by his doing the actions” we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit: “the good of man is a working of the soul in the way of excellence in a complete life;... for as it is not one swallow or one find day that makes a spring, so it is not one day or a short time that makes a man blessed and happy.”

Don’t make excuses.  Don’t wait till you get motivated.  Action precedes  motivation. As H. Jackson Brown Jr. noted: 

“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have the same amount of hours per day that were given to… Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo Di Vinci… and Albert Einstein.”   

Seek feedback 

Learners should actively seek feedback from their teachers, peers and other stakeholders. Constructive feedback helps identify areas of improvement and provides an opportunity for growth. Actively engaging in discussions and collaborating with others can foster creativity and lead to deeper knowledge and better learning strategies. 

Use all your senses 

Memory, learning and focus are also enhanced when one uses all your senses.  See it, hear it, write it down and then test yourself on it to determine what you know, how well you know it, and what you don’t know.   

Power of story

Another powerful strategy involves the interleaving of information.  This is especially true in relation to the power of story to help you link elements together and trigger your mind and aiding recall and deeper synthesis of the information 

Power of sleep

There is also a strong link between one’s physical and mental health.  A good night’s sleep is vital for learning.  Actual changes that come about in the learning process do not occur during focus, but during sleep, especially during rapid eye movement which tends to occur near end of first night following learning. 

Nutrition and Exercise 

Two other vital components of physical health that play a significant role in effective learning are nutrition and exercise.  Good food and regular exercise increase your energy level and enable all biological systems (including the brain) to function at their best. 

Mindfulness, meditation, posture and deep breathing 

Focus is also assisted by mindfulness and meditation.  Ten minutes a day, focused on good posture, breathing and regular meditation and reflection on your professional growth will pay big dividends when it comes to learning.  (See e.g.’ Non-sleep deep rest (NSDR): https://www.sleepfoundation.org/meditation-for-sleep/what-is-non-sleep-deep-rest ). 

Structure and plan your study  

Learning will also be optimised if you schedule your day so that it supports optimal learning.  Successful students schedule their study as definite period of day.  They tend to have a definite period when they study alone and without distractions, including no phone or surfing the web.  It is important to choose times when you know you are alert.  Tell your friends-- no interruption!” –and enforce it.  Our brains get used to being focused on a particular time.  Developing and strengthening such a habit is a vital professional skill that will serve you well throughout life.1  

Invest in yourself and commit to continuous improvement 

Continuous improvement is the key to staying relevant in the ever-changing world of all professionals. It involves constantly learning new methodologies, tools, and techniques to enhance productivity and efficiency. By embracing a mindset of continuous improvement, successful professionals can keep up with industry trends and deliver better results. 

Successful professionals should invest time and effort in training and upskilling themselves. Continuous learning and professional development enable testers to acquire new skills and stay competitive in the industry. By regularly updating their knowledge and skill set, learners can improve their ability to tackle complex challenges. 

Continuous improvement is not a one-time activity but a lifelong commitment. It requires dedication, perseverance, and an eagerness to grow. By making continuous improvement a part of their professional journey, you can become more effective, efficient, and valuable contributors to your profession and wider community. Also, be curious.  Know that there is always something new to learn.  Know also that previous and current views must always be tested to ensure that current knowledge still applies to new situations.  Curiosity is the fuel that drives continuous improvement. As continuous learners, we must always keep our minds open, stay curious, and embrace new challenges. Only by questioning, exploring, and experimenting can we truly develop new skills and uncover the hidden flaws and vulnerabilities in our current knowledge. 

Take time to celebrate achievements 

Professionals should acknowledge and celebrate their achievements at every significant step. Recognising the progress made, boosts morale and motivates learners to keep pushing forward. Celebrating achievements also fosters a culture of appreciation and collaboration with other members of your learning and professional community.

Emeritus Professor Eugene Clark 

Educators today distinguish between “hard” and “soft skills.”  Hard skills are the technical skills required for a job and learned through formal education and experience. These skills are specific and typically can be quantified or evidenced by experience or a certification showing you have completed a particular course or gained a qualification.  Examples of hard skills include: computer programming, data analysis, copywriting, foreign language ability, marketing, etc.   

Soft skills, in contrast, are more behavioural. Examples are communication skills, conflict resolution skills, the ability to relate to people, ability to engage in effective teamwork, etc.  These soft skills typically are measured qualitatively.   

While employers want, and successful professionals need, employees with both hard and soft skills, it is the soft skills that will in the future be increasingly valued and in short supply. This is the finding of the World Economic Forum Report which found that nine of the top 10 skill gaps required of todays leaders involve the acquisition and application of “soft skills”. 

According to the Report, these high demand soft skills include: 

• Analytical thinking 
• Creative thinking 
• Resilience 
• Flexibility 
• Agility 
• Motivation 
• Self-awareness 
• Curiosity 
• Lifelong learning 

At the National Academy of Professional Studies the development of soft skills as well as hard skills is stressed in each of our professional courses and qualifications. In addition, We conduct a series of workshops designed to guide students towards helping them to develop and enhance both their technical hard skills and soft skills." 

While our first courses have focused on traditional, more technical’ degrees related to business, we are also developing additional courses which also provide students with the option to pursue a career that has a greater focus on these soft skills.  We believe, as does the World Economic Forum Report mentioned above, that such soft skills will be increasingly important. We are committed to working on developing creative ways to integrate these soft skills into the student experience so that students, in turn, will transfer and build upon these soft skills throughout the life of their future career. 

The National Academy of Professional Studies (NAPS) has recently been approved to offer the world a degree in Social Work.  This for many reasons is an important milestone. 

Looking more broadly and to the future, all professions, indeed the world, urgently need to adopt the attribute and valus underlying the “soft skills” involved with social work: service to community, compassion, dedication, care, problem solving, hard work, optimism, motivation, resilience and more.  

These values and soft skills will enable future graduates to play leading roles in their chosen profession.  This in turn will enable society to preserve our professions, re-invigorate our institutions, build a strong economy, promote responsible government, rekindle personal autonomy and responsibility, renew enthusiasm for public service, protect the environment and enhance the social capital that comes when professions do their part in  supporting families and communities.

Career Professionals are better humans through practice in training the mind.

• When entering the NAPS venue, say words of greeting such as: ‘Good morning, or Hello’.
• When calling NAPS, please introduce yourself. Please prepare for the conversation by having your ID number and the topic of conversation. It may help you if you write it down.
• When you come to the Front Desk wait for your turn. Please do not butt in and talk over top of the other. It is professional to not only wait for your turn but also make sure you acknowledge who was there before you.
• Respect the space. It is not very professional to enter the side of the desk where the staff member is sitting or standing over the staff member who is attending to the needs of the others.
• Seek permission to enter an office. Do not barge in unannounced.
• Seek permission to use NAPS resources including pen and other objects. It is not your property.
• Be polite to others. Avoid talking in a language that others are not familiar with.
• Read and understand the email before wanting to inquire with the staff. Take charge of your actions. If you need help, make sure you realise you are at the receiving end of generosity and behave professionally and with ethics.
• If you are late to class, do not disturb the rest. Professional ethics requires you to switch off the phone and not interrupt the flow of the session.
• Avoid disruptive behavior, particularly in Campus Venues
• Read and carefully consider the Student Codes of Conduct contained in the Student Handbook. This activity is a precursor of a code of conduct in the workplace.
• Organise your finances responsibly to avoid undue stress and acting unprofessionally.
• Learn to use the technology provided for your use.
• Be a leader and manager by contributing to voluntary Organizations and Clubs including opting to become student representatives:
• Learn time management and best practices for enhanced Time Management and Academic and non-academic success.
• Seek help and assistance promptly for dealing with stress. mental health, Academic pressure, financial concerns, etc.
• Take every opportunity in class to express opinions on different topics and ask questions to generate good discussion.
• Work hard to maintain a healthy study-work-life balance but this requires good time management and a positive attitude.
• Maintain the focus on the end goal – GRADUATE and ask what is next after graduation and lifestyle.
• Prepare to attend all lectures and tutorials on time fully prepared for professional discussion and use of time effectively to maximize learning experiences.

Emeritus Prof Eugene Clark, National Academy of Professional Studies

On Dec 2, 2023 was a keynote speaker hosted in Malaysia: INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH FOR SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY (ICMASS).

My keynote address was entitled: Strengthening Legal Policies in the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities through Research and Innovation to Address Economic Inequality

The primary goal of this conference was to bring together science, technology, and management areas of research. While the Information Age has empowered an ‘explosion of knowledge’ it has resulted in increasingly specialised disciplines that talk seldom talk with one another and indeed create their own new language and vocabulary that makes them even more isolated. My main message was that: If we are to manifest the wisdom to use this new knowledge and technology for the advancement of humanity, we must get better at talking with one another, respecting one another, sharing our insights and finding the best path forward to a sustainable future.

In my short time, I made the following brief points.

1. Leadership
If we are going to create a sustainable future we require leadership—at every level of society. In the 21st Century we need to think of leadership not as a pyramid, but as a web with all of our disciplines at the centre of it.

We should also be mindful that “The Leadership Challenge” is in the words of Alan Keith is “ultimately about creating a way for people to contribute to making something extraordinary happen.”

Know also that everyone can be a good leader and good follower in word and deed, inspiring each other to be what we know we can be.

2. Pragmatism/Practicality/Operational excellence
In the world of academia, we tend to over-emphasise theory and ignore the importance of practical applications that make a positive difference in the world. As management expert, Simon Sinek argues: “Pure pragmatism can't imagine a bold future. Pure idealism can't get anything done. It is the delicate blend of both that drives innovation.”

A leading example of someone who combined vision and application is Thomas Edison, who noted: “Vision without execution is but an hallucination.”

Operational excellence
We need common-sense, operational excellence. It is easy to tear things down. We need to focus on building things. We need operational excellence--pragmatic, practical, common-sense applications and commitment to making things work and getting things done. We do this by taking one step at a time. As the management mantra goes: “Think big; start small”.

3. Institution Building
Leaders build institutions and institutions build lasting change. In today’s world, it seems that every major institution in society is under attack and failing.
It is vital that professionals from all disciplines use their talents to help strengthen the institutions in society: government, schools, family, law/courts, religious and philanthropic institutions, community groups etc

4. Inclusivity
Paraphrasing former US VP, Hubert Humphrey: The moral test of a sustainable society is how that society and its institutions treat those who are at the dawn of life, the children; those who are at the twilight of life, the aged; those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the homeless, the needy, the disabled, etc. While the world has many things on its agenda, it is imperative that we not forget the important needs of all of these groups.

Special Education Early Childhood Education. I had the opportunity a few years ago to serve at the CEO of a US company that was the largest private provider of special education services in the US. Not only did I meet some of the most amazing and dedicated people I have ever known, but I saw first-hand what a huge difference special education could make in the lives of individuals, their families and the whole community. I received numerous letters from parents thanking our organization for providing a therapist. Typical were the words of one parent who, wrote: “Thank you for giving me back my son.” Because of his speech problems he could not get along with his classmates or even family members. Your intervention changed not only his life, but our lives.” If a child is one of the estimated millions who suffers from autism and as a result cannot communicate effectively, that impacts not only the child’s life chances, but also creates a terrible strain on the family and the community network in which that child is a part.

The latest research indicates that the best investment in early childhood education and special education comes with early intervention, even before the child goes to school. The most effective intervention is that taken while the brain is in these early stages of development.

It is also important that we see people and disabilities, not as ‘problems’ or only as ‘broken’ but that we appreciate the tremendous contribution they can make to the world. This point is eloquently made in this little story by author Kevin Kling, who is himself disabled:

“Back in the days when pots and pans could talk...there lived a man. And in order to have water, every day he had to walk down the hill and fill two pots and walk them home. One day, it was discovered one of the pots had a crack, and as time went on, the crack widened. Finally, the pot turned to the man and said, "You know, every day you take me to the river, and by the time you get home, half of the water's leaked out. Please replace me with a better pot." And the man said, "You don't understand. As you spill, you water the wild flowers by the side of the path." And sure enough, on the side of the path where the cracked pot was carried, beautiful flowers grew, while other side was barren. "I think I'll keep you," said the man.”

We need to see people with disabilities, not for the cracks in their pots and what they don’t have—but for the many special talents they do have and the many blessings they bring to the lives of all of us.


5. Innovation/Entrepreneurship/Law as an example
Innovation and entrepreneurship are keys to the achievement of a prosperous, sustainable society. As Margaret J. Wheatley in Leadership and the New Science, reminds us:

"Innovation is fostered by information gathered from new connections; from insights gained by journeys into other disciplines or places; from active, collegial networks and fluid, open boundaries. Innovation arises from ongoing circles of exchange, where information is not just accumulated or stored, but created. Knowledge is generated anew from connections that weren't there before."

"We are living through an innovation famine, not an innovation feast—particularly in areas other than digital ... if we can do more innovation, we will not destroy the planet. It’s quite the reverse. It’s the safest way of saving the planet." — Matt Ridely speaking with Naval Ravikant

In common with other institutions, the legal system has struggled to keep up with technology and struggled to devise mechanisms whereby all citizens have access to services. In more recent times, however, suggest that new models are emerging that have the potential to re-engineer legal services so that justice and legal services are more accessible to all. Below is a summary of some of the barriers to access and how technology can help.

Knowledge barriers
In general terms technology advancements are leading to new models of learning that are tailored to the needs of individuals. Developments such as the Khan Academy have brought education to millions of people around the world. The higher the level of literacy in a society, the more informed and engaged its citizens will be.

Before the Internet, laws were found mostly in government, law firms and university law libraries. Law books were very expensive. Thanks to "open government" and other social justice and consumer movements, the laws of most countries are today freely available online. Just one of many examples, is the World Legal Information Institute. With almost 2000 databases on this site, one can find laws from over 130 jurisdictions around the world.

Today, websites can monitor activity, interact with users and tailor information and services to the needs of particular users. Aided by AI legal research will offer new solutions and even help resolve disputes.

Software can also help people navigate across many different government programs to help determine whether they are eligible for low-income legal assistance.

Language and cultural barriers
In our diverse and multi-cultural world, it is also important that the laws be made available in multiple languages. For those who do not speak other languages, software translators are rapidly improving. Moreover, many jurisdictions will make the key legal information available in multiple languages that reflect the diversity within their local community.

Software requires rules and standards to be effective across legal systems. This is the focus of projects like the EU Grotius Project 98/GR/131. Its aim is to promote consistent best practice standards in relation to legal interpreting.

Technology also has the potential to help better tailor legal education models to meet the needs of a more diverse student population and thus play a part in serving the educational needs of those underserved by traditional models.

Technical barriers
The law is also a language of its own and even native speakers can be intimidated by and alienated from a legal system that uses highly formal and technical language that is only understood by those with professional legal training. Software packages make it easy to provide links that put technical terms in plain language and diagrams that make it easier to see how things fit together.

Financial barriers
New models of legal practice, aided by technology, have promise to reduce financial barriers. Leveraging technology (e.g. electronic document assembly) one lawyer can today do the work of many. Virtual law firms mean that lawyers do not have to incur the costs of an expensive office and all the trappings that go with it.

Physical/geographic barriers
Modern courtroom designs are taking into account the "community of users" who are involved. For example, in Charlotte, North Carolina, jurors are provided with comfortable waiting rooms and various services (food, childcare, business services) that make it more convenient for them to wait as well as enabling them to carry out their daily activities while also doing their civic duty of jury service. Mobile courts are also becoming more common

Legal education barriers
Note the roles that virtue reality, artificial intelligence, natural language processing, gamification and other developments will play in educating the next generation of lawyers about the role of technology in enhancing access to justice

Time barriers
Technology enables a 24/7 world of work and access. In an Internet environment matters can be resolved asynchronously and after hours and not be limited to court times and normal business hours.

Innovation barriers
Lawyers and judges tend to be highly risk averse. However, in a time of rapid change and transformation, there is a need for the profession to embrace change and become more innovative or face serious disruption. Legal education, admission policies, law firm models, courts, legislatures, governments -- all aspects of the system must adapt and reboot in order to meet the needs/demands of an Information Age and an increasingly inter-connected, diverse and complex world.

Competition barriers
The legal profession in every country is highly regulated. In many cases professional bodies, such as bar associations and law societies, play a major role in this regulation. While such regulation offers protection to consumers of legal services, it can also result in anti-competitive effects that have inhibited innovation and made the profession resistant to change.

6 Technology tempered by wisdom
Isaac Asimov, Russian-born American author and biochemist wrote: “The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom." Similarly, Swiss author, Anne Louise Germaine de Staël, concluded: “Scientific progress makes moral progress a necessity; for if man's power is increased, the checks that restrain him from abusing it must be strengthened."

As we see in recent debates about harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI), if we continue to develop our technology without wisdom or prudence, our servant may prove to be our master and maybe even our executioner.

7. Optimism
When watching today’s news with its over-emphasis on all things negative, it is easy to be pessimistic. Indeed, a pandemic of pessimism and cynicism destroys families, undermines institutions and speads gloom and despair to individuals, communities and even whole nations.

Optimism and hope are necessary to inspire and generate the enthusiasm required to make the effort to make things better. As President Franklin D Roosevelt exhorted during the Great Depression: “Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds.”


8. Urgency
Finally, it is crucial that we have a sense of urgency. As the poet, Rumi stated so eloquently:

Travelers, it is late.
Life's sun is going to set.
During these brief days that you have strength,
be quick and spare no effort of your wings.

Rumi

That urgency should be accompanied by a spirit that does not shrink from problems but welcomes them as opportunities to grow and bring about a better society. In this task our motto should be “Ad astra per aspera” ---“To the stars through difficulties.” John James Ingalls