Mallory Graber
June 25, 2020
San Luis Obispo, California – 24 June 2020: Leading student accommodation and technology services provider MyStay International (MSI) is in the running to be titled Accommodation Provider of the Year at the 2020 PIEoneer Awards. The awards acknowledge outstanding innovation and achievement in international education.
StudentRoomStay is extremely proud of David Bycroft and the team at MyStay International, and is prepared to merge the industry renowned processes that have made MSI successful into the upcoming StudentRoomStay platform. David Bycroft, Founder of MSI, is also Co-founder of StudentRoomStay along with Co-Founder and CEO Adam Lee, based in California.
MSI is the only Australian company shortlisted for Accommodation provider of the year and will compete against six other nominees from the UK and USA for the honor. Founded in Brisbane, Australia, MyStay International has built its reputation on improving the study abroad experience for international students across the globe.
MSI Founder and Director, David Bycroft, said being nominated as a PIEoneer Award finalist for the third time was “a phenomenal achievement” given the caliber of the competition around the world.
“The PIE is a global authority in international education. For them to recognise MyStay International as one of the world’s best accommodation providers is a real privilege and a great endorsement of our ongoing mission to support international students,” Bycroft said.
“Delivering quality student experiences with a focus on safety, wellbeing and cultural immersion has enabled us to positively impact the lives of more than 63,000 students from 183 countries.”
One of MSI’s major initiatives for 2020 was the establishment of the International Student Support Network, a program offering discounted short-term homestay accommodation to vulnerable international students in Australia in need of support and assistance due to the COVID-19 crisis.
The PIE highlighted that the quality and volume of entries for this year’s awards exceeded those received in 2019, which was a pleasant surprise given the challenging times seen at the start of 2020.
The Awards shortlist is made up of nominees from 26 countries. Winners will be selected by an independent judging panel of 38 international education specialists from across the world in a virtual ceremony in September.
About StudentRoomStay
StudentRoomStay (SRS) provides all forms of student accommodation for international and domestic students on a safe and user-friendly platform. SRS was founded by two key figures in the education sector, Adam Lee from California and David Bycroft, based in Brisbane, Australia.
The co-founders of StudentRoomStay have merged the talents and technologies from their existing government commended entities, the Australian Homestay Network, founded by David Bycroft, and AmeriStudent, founded by Adam Lee. The acquisition of these industry renowned companies by StudentRoomStay will allow SRS to quickly become the global leader in student accommodation.
StudentRoomStay.com and the SRS app will launch in the United States in 2020, which will promptly be followed by launches in Australia, Canada and eventually the rest of the world. StudentRoomStay is building the future of student accommodation worldwide.
About My Stay International
MyStay International (MSI) is Australia’s largest and leading standards-based international student homestay provider. In 2015, MSI was established to incorporate the consolidation of the Australian Homestay Network (founded 2007) and the American Homestay Network (founded 2012). Our core purpose is to facilitate lifetime relationships and be the global leader in properly-managed hosted accommodation for international students, based on the principles of accountability, integrity, transparency, personalised services, safety, and 24/7 professional support.
The Australian Homestay Network has received acknowledgement and commendation for ‘appropriate’ standards from industry bodies and in two Australian Government inquiries, while the American Homestay Network has received accreditation from the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET) and is a sponsor of the American International Recruitment Council (AIRC).
In 2020, MSI launched the International Student Support Network (ISSN) to deliver low-cost temporary homestay to international students in Australia impacted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ISSN is facilitated by the Australian Homestay Network.
