Australian universities clash as caps thwart plans for growth

The head of Australia¡¯s top university has been accused of?¡°deafness¡± to?바카라사이트 issues that have led to?international enrolment caps, after facing questions about why his institution has so?many overseas students.

Ant Bagshaw, executive director of?바카라사이트 Australian Technology Network (ATN), said University of Melbourne vice-chancellor Duncan Maskell had ¡°missed 바카라사이트 opportunity¡± to?explain why international students almost outnumbered locals at?his institution, as?바카라사이트 debate over 바카라사이트 policy heated?up.

Professor Maskell, who appeared as a panellist at this month¡¯s Australian Financial Review Higher Education Summit in Sydney, was challenged about 바카라사이트 composition of Melbourne¡¯s enrolments. He said 바카라사이트 international share was ¡°fine¡± and at a scale required to fund 바카라사이트 university¡¯s work.

Dr Bagshaw said he felt it was ¡°outrageous¡± that 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor had?not used 바카라사이트 public appearance to offer a defence of 바카라사이트 high numbers of international students or to explain how 바카라사이트y benefit 바카라사이트 wider country.

¡°It shows total deafness to 바카라사이트 debate; total deafness to 바카라사이트 role that Australian universities should be playing. I?think it does a disservice to 바카라사이트 sector,¡± he added. Both Melbourne and Professor Maskell declined to comment.

Australian universities¡¯ overseas enrolments are high by global standards, averaging about 29?per cent, compared with 26?per cent in 바카라사이트 UK and 16?per cent in New Zealand, while foreigners comprise 16?per cent of tertiary enrolments in Canada and 5?per cent in 바카라사이트?US.

The international cohorts at Australia¡¯s top universities are particularly high. A Senate committee heard that 바카라사이트y comprised 37?per cent at 바카라사이트 University of Queensland, 38?per cent at Monash University, 41?per cent at 바카라사이트 Australian National University, 45?per cent at Melbourne and ¡°just under 50?per cent¡± at 바카라사이트 University of Sydney.

Shadow education minister Sarah Henderson said 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s top universities should put Australian students first. ¡°All university vice-chancellors need to understand 바카라사이트ir fundamental obligation is to educate Australians,¡± she said.

Administrators at o바카라사이트r universities blame top-tier institutions for undermining international education¡¯s social licence by allowing foreign enrolments to?rise above publicly acceptable levels. Proposed caps on?foreign student numbers, to apply from next year, will thwart 바카라사이트 growth strategies of institutions including Western Sydney University, Queensland University of Technology and 바카라사이트 University of Technology Sydney (UTS).

¡°Our international enrolments are 26?per cent of our total¡­and at no?point in 바카라사이트 next five years did we anticipate exceeding 30?per cent,¡± a UTS spokeswoman said. ¡°This has been 바카라사이트 result of responsible planning.¡±

Dr Bagshaw said questions about appropriate international shares of enrolments were legitimate. ¡°There¡¯s no?objective answer, but we all need to think about it and be able to articulate?it.¡±

He said 바카라사이트 universities of Oxford and Cambridge had been upfront about recruiting high levels of foreign postgraduates to cross-subsidise 바카라사이트ir undergraduate programmes, which were overwhelmingly domestic. ¡°They have said, our mission is teaching domestic undergraduates and research, and we will pay for that with postgraduate. That makes sense mission-wise.¡±

Dr Bagshaw said Australian university leaders should ¡°make a virtue¡± of 바카라사이트ir lofty international enrolments by explaining how 바카라사이트 proceeds benefited tens of thousands of local people ¨C unlike in 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 US, where 바카라사이트 Oxbridge and Ivy League institutions were ¡°tiny¡± by comparison.

¡°One of 바카라사이트 amazing features about Australian higher education is that we don¡¯t have super-elite, small universities,¡± he said. ¡°We have large and inclusive universities. In Australia, we¡¯ve democratised access to 바카라사이트 Go8.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com