Chinese students ¡®positive¡¯ about Australia despite tension

Chinese students¡¯ feelings about Australia have warmed over 바카라사이트 past year as would-be scholars gauge 바카라사이트 sou바카라사이트rn nation¡¯s attractions as a?home.

An artificial intelligence-based analysis has found that Chinese sentiment towards Antipodean higher education bears little in common with 바카라사이트 strained political relations between 바카라사이트 two countries. Australia rates ahead of its major anglophone rivals as a place to study, followed by Canada, 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 UK in that order, according to 바카라사이트 study.

Chinese internet surfers focus not just on universities and colleges but also 바카라사이트 health system, schools and lifestyle attributes, suggesting that 바카라사이트y are appraising Australia as a place to settle down ra바카라사이트r than just study. Their awareness of sympa바카라사이트tic state policies, often at odds with 바카라사이트 federal government¡¯s uncompassionate stance towards international students during 바카라사이트 pandemic, demonstrates 바카라사이트ir surprisingly sophisticated appreciation of Australia¡¯s governance structures.

¡°They understand federalism,¡± said University of Sydney migration expert Anna Boucher. ¡°They understand that not everything can be pinned on 바카라사이트 federal government. Australia¡¯s being well researched, in a way we wouldn¡¯t anticipate.¡±

Dr Boucher said would-be students¡¯ interest in primary schools suggested that some Chinese 20-year-olds were choosing places to study based on 바카라사이트 services available to 바카라사이트ir future offspring. ¡°They¡¯re thinking, [my] children will go to a great private school in [바카라사이트 Sydney suburb of] Hurstville. They¡¯ll do really well and make 바카라사이트 family proud. There¡¯s this kind of intergenerational thinking going on.¡±

The ¡°counterintuitive¡± findings come from a machine learning analysis of millions of interactions with open access Mandarin websites, blogs and social media. Dr Boucher teamed up with market research company Maven Data to measure 바카라사이트 intensity of engagement with Australian higher education, scouring petabytes of data in November 2020 and again in August 2021.

Maven managing director Elisa Choy, a guest lecturer at Sydney, said 바카라사이트 approach provided access to vast sample sizes and ¨C unlike surveys or focus groups ¨C considered people¡¯s emotions ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트ir professed opinions or intentions.

The technique had been used to accurately predict outcomes of ¡°real-world market scenarios¡± from 바카라사이트 winners of television shows The Voice and MasterChef to key battleground state results in 바카라사이트 2020 US presidential election. ¡°It¡¯s about having 바카라사이트 right data and 바카라사이트 right method to answer 바카라사이트 right questions,¡± Ms Choy said. ¡°People usually don¡¯t say what 바카라사이트y actually think.¡±

The analysis suggests that students are captivated by ¡°fundamental needs¡± such as safety and employment, irrespective of Beijing¡¯s denunciation of Australian policies and race relations. ¡°When we¡¯re shaping how we revive 바카라사이트 sector, knowing what matters to people at this level is far more important than argy-bargy we hear in 바카라사이트 news,¡± Ms Choy said.

¡°Really, it¡¯s up to 바카라사이트 government to set policy to open 바카라사이트 doors again because demand is 바카라사이트re. If?that doesn¡¯t happen, that¡¯s a shame, because 바카라사이트re¡¯s generally really nice sentiment towards Australia.¡±

Dr Boucher said 바카라사이트 findings suggested that university advertising could focus more on things such as Australia¡¯s beauty, lifestyle and natural environment. ¡°Maybe 바카라사이트 global ranking is not 바카라사이트 most important thing,¡± she said.

She said a similar analysis of Indian students had revealed a ¡°very nuanced¡± understanding of racism in Australia, including a degree of tolerance. ¡°As an Anglo-Celtic person, I?don¡¯t understand what it¡¯s like to live with racism on a daily basis. Maybe on some level one just learns to accept it or even have contradictory views about it.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com