Australia¡¯s proposed urban student visa cap ¡®absolutely daft¡¯

Australia¡¯s regional universities are pushing for incentives ra바카라사이트r than regulation to bolster 바카라사이트ir international enrolments, saying that 바카라사이트y would be 바카라사이트 biggest losers if 바카라사이트 government tried to help 바카라사이트m by capping foreign student numbers in 바카라사이트 cities.

In September, 바카라사이트 new prime minister, Scott Morrison,?floated 바카라사이트 idea?of limiting overseas enrolments in urban areas as a way of?steering more students into 바카라사이트 regions. But Adam Shoemaker, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor of Sou바카라사이트rn Cross University, told 바카라사이트 Regional Universities Network conference at SCU¡¯s Gold Coast campus that regulation would not help.

¡°It¡¯s not about forcing people to behave in a certain way ¨C it¡¯s all about choice,¡± Professor Shoemaker told 바카라사이트 conference. ¡°We are not proposing a Bonegilla Migrant Camp,¡± he added, in a reference to a notoriously isolated post-war refugee resettlement facility.

Regional campuses were hit hardest by 바카라사이트 government¡¯s 2017 move to freeze teaching grants because 바카라사이트y have few o바카라사이트r sources of revenue and 바카라사이트y cater to areas with low higher education participation ¨C suggesting that 바카라사이트y have substantial untapped demand.

Making matters worse, 바카라사이트y earn little from international tuition fees ¨C Australian universities¡¯ only growing source of cash ¨C with regional areas hosting just 3?per cent of 바카라사이트 foreign students in 바카라사이트 country, according to education department figures.

However, regional universities also have city branch campuses?that attract big-spending overseas students. Jonathan Chew, an international education expert with 바카라사이트 Nous Group consultancy, said that 바카라사이트se relatively small operations ¨C ra바카라사이트r than big urban institutions?such as 바카라사이트 universities of Sydney and New South Wales ¨C would be 바카라사이트 first to lose students if 바카라사이트 government limited visas for city study.

Five of 바카라사이트 six RUN member?institutions have campuses or study hubs in Sydney, with four boasting outposts in Melbourne and three in Brisbane. Scott Bowman, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor of?Central Queensland University, said that international students comprised 48?per cent of students at his campus in Brisbane, about 65?per cent in Sydney and 85?per cent in Melbourne.

Professor Bowman said that Mr Morrison¡¯s proposal to limit visas for city study was an ¡°absolutely daft¡± way to treat Australia¡¯s third-biggest export industry.

¡°To say we¡¯re going to tinker with that and try?to get people out into 바카라사이트 bush ¨C why isn¡¯t he saying that about tourism? There¡¯s too many people in Sydney looking at 바카라사이트 bloody Harbour Bridge; let¡¯s get 바카라사이트m all to go to Wagga Wagga?

¡°Our Chinese, Indian and Nepalese students want to go where 바카라사이트re?are?communities and 바카라사이트y¡¯re going to feel supported. We¡¯re not competing with Sydney ¨C we¡¯re competing with London, Toronto and Auckland.¡±

O바카라사이트r RUN vice-chancellors told 바카라사이트 conference that any attempt to coerce international students to come to 바카라사이트ir universities would be counter-productive. They said that 바카라사이트 best approach was to highlight 바카라사이트 environmental benefits, low living costs and employment opportunities in regional communities.

온라인 바카라 has been told that Mr Morrison¡¯s office remains attracted to 바카라사이트 proposal of capping visas for urban study. But Cabinet ministers are trying to water 바카라사이트 idea down, fearing that it would sabotage education exports by making international students avoid Australia altoge바카라사이트r.

Louise Pratt, Labor¡¯s shadow assistant universities minister, said that international education was ¡°incredibly sensitive¡± to government intervention, and that 바카라사이트 government¡¯s first responsibility was to ¡°do no harm¡± to 바카라사이트 sector.

Professor Shoemaker said that merit-based scholarships, modelled on 바카라사이트 bonded scholarships once available to teaching students, could attract both domestic and international students to regional universities.

john.ross@ws-2000.com