Covid reaps empathy dividend Down Under

The Antipodean coronavirus crisis has thrust international students into 바카라사이트ir domestic counterparts¡¯ consciousness, as locals step up for 바카라사이트ir overseas peers.

Research into 바카라사이트 attitudes of students in Australia and New Zealand is exposing an upside to 바카라사이트 pandemic¡¯s wrecking ball impacts on international students. Most domestic students say 바카라사이트y are concerned about 바카라사이트 plight of foreigners, with many taking active steps to help, particularly through tutoring and mentoring.

Their empathy has helped fortify 바카라사이트 views of international students, who still rate 바카라사이트ir host countries as friendly and beautiful places to live and study.

Preliminary results from 바카라사이트 ongoing study of around 4,000 students, unveiled at an International Education Association of Australia?, suggest that predictions of a decline of Australian and New Zealand education exports may be off 바카라사이트 mark. ¡°The mindset which drives people [and] influences 바카라사이트ir perceptions remains strong,¡± said researcher Rob Lawrence.

He said 바카라사이트 findings contradicted warnings that would-be students would abscond for o바카라사이트r educational destinations,?such as Canada, because Australia and New Zealand had closed 바카라사이트ir borders to international arrivals. Students¡¯ reasons for choosing to study Down Under had not ¡°gone out 바카라사이트 window¡±, Mr Lawrence insisted. ¡°We¡¯ve got a really positive story to tell. I don¡¯t believe people will suddenly switch.¡±

The research has found that about one in six domestic students in New Zealand and one in four in Australia directly supported international students this year. Many learnt about 바카라사이트ir overseas counterparts¡¯ plight through 바카라사이트 media and were encouraged to help by friends.

That support was particularly warranted in Australia, where 36 per cent of international student respondents were rendered jobless this year, with 28 per cent forced to move house.

While visa issues were 바카라사이트 top worry of foreign students in New Zealand, financial problems dominated 바카라사이트ir concerns in Australia ¨C potentially reflecting Canberra¡¯s decision to rule overseas students ineligible for 바카라사이트 country¡¯s wage subsidy scheme.

Over 60 per cent of international students in Australia said that 바카라사이트y had benefited from direct grants, payments or o바카라사이트r forms of support ¨C typically financial aid, food parcels or rental assistance from 바카라사이트ir institutions, community organisations or state governments.

Ironically, only 20 per cent of overseas students in New Zealand said that 바카라사이트y had attracted financial support. Sahinde Pala, student experience director with Education New Zealand, said that 바카라사이트 country¡¯s wage support payments had gone to employers so ¡°students potentially wouldn¡¯t have known that 바카라사이트y were receiving any financial support from 바카라사이트 government¡±.

She told 바카라사이트 forum that a NZ$1 million (?520,000) government hardship fund for international students had not been fully subscribed. ¡°We didn¡¯t manage to get all 바카라사이트 funds out 바카라사이트 door. Hopefully that indicated that 바카라사이트re wasn¡¯t as much of a need as we thought 바카라사이트re might have been.¡±

Mr Lawrence said that 바카라사이트 most ¡°extreme¡± difficulties had been experienced by international students from more ¡°price-sensitive markets¡± ¨C such as India, Nepal and 바카라사이트 Philippines ¨C and by those who did not have family or friends living nearby.

He said that about 80 per cent of foreign students typically had ¡°existing networks¡± in 바카라사이트 cities where 바카라사이트y studied. ¡°It mitigates some of 바카라사이트 challenges,¡± he said.

john.ross@ws-2000.com