Students in Australia and overseas are actively comparing their experiences during the pandemic. Countries that support them well will gain an edge in a competitive global education market.
Australian universities face a huge revenue hit from falling international student numbers due to COVID-19 and tensions with China. Some institutions should consider merging rather than downsizing.
New research shows more than 40% of temporary visa holders skipped meals and a third faced homelessness due to a lack of government support during the pandemic.
Australia’s higher education sector needs significant reform to remove the perverse incentives that have made universities dependent on revenue from international students.
Of the students with jobs, 60% lost them and and two-thirds of the rest had hours cut. As they struggled, and often failed, to get rents and tuition fees reduced, precarious lives became even harder.
A loss of Chinese students from the US – and the US$15 billion they spend on tuition – could have serious repercussions for American colleges and universities.
The Australian government has not been good to international students since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. But compared to the US, UK and Canada, we haven’t lost our competitive edge.
Researchers conducted a survey of 1,012 students in China between June 5 and 15. This included students who planned to study overseas, and those who had already been studying abroad before, COVID-19.
Rahul Sen, Auckland University of Technology and Swati Nagar, Auckland University of Technology
With other international education markets still struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic, New Zealand and Australian universities should position themselves as premium destinations.
A Mitchell Institute report has estimated the proportion of international students in various Australian suburbs, and how much they contribute to the local economy.
If fewer students from other countries enroll in US colleges and universities this fall due to COVID-19, the effects would be felt well beyond the campus, an expert warns.
The Australian government relies on the temporary graduate visa to attract international students. But these visa recipients are left helpless as they face a loss of financial security.
For every $1 lost in university tuition fees, there is another $1.15 lost in the broader economy. This means loss of university revenue can cost the Australian economy more than $40 billion by 2023.