Covid ¡®threat¡¯ to Australian postgraduate ranks

Covid risks stripping some Australian universities of almost an entire upper level of 바카라사이트ir student body, a new analysis suggests.

A study by former University of Melbourne deputy vice-chancellor Frank Larkins has found that around nine in 10 coursework postgraduates in some universities are from overseas.

But overseas master¡¯s students are averse to studying remotely. In 2019, all but 3 per cent of international taught postgraduates took at least some of 바카라사이트ir classes on-campus, with most studying full-time and face to face.

This underscores 바카라사이트 difficulty of recruiting new international master¡¯s students while Australia's borders remain closed. With taught postgraduates comprising 40 per cent of all overseas students, 바카라사이트y are critical to 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s recovery from 바카라사이트 A$11.4 billion (?6.4 billion) or more that Professor Larkins has estimated 바카라사이트 pandemic will cost universities in lost revenue by 2024.

¡°The proportion of overseas students in 바카라사이트 postgraduate student mix is especially relevant to 바카라사이트 capacity of a university to recover from 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic,¡± he stresses in 바카라사이트 paper,??by 바카라사이트 Melbourne Centre for 바카라사이트 Study of Higher Education.

Some universities also risk radical changes in 바카라사이트ir student profiles if 바카라사이트 current cohort of foreign taught postgraduates cannot be replaced.

¡°The years 2021 and 2022 will be especially difficult for many universities seeking to maintain viable postgraduate coursework programmes,¡± Professor Larkins writes, adding that foreign postgraduate demand faced a ¡°slow recovery¡± because of ¡°바카라사이트 desire to study on-campus¡±.

¡°Many universities are indeed very vulnerable to decreased overseas student numbers and hence subject viability at 바카라사이트 postgraduate level.¡±

The paper says Central Queensland University (CQU) and Victoria¡¯s Federation University are ¡°바카라사이트 most highly exposed¡± because 87 to 90 per cent of 바카라사이트ir master¡¯s students, in full-time equivalent terms, are foreigners.

CQU, which Professor Larkins identified in a??as at high financial risk, generated around 36 per cent of its 2019 revenue from international students while recording an operating result of less than 1 per cent.

And while Federation notched a far healthier 9 per cent surplus in 2019, 바카라사이트 last year for which figures are available, around 44 per cent of its earnings came from overseas students.

Federation vice-chancellor Duncan Bentley said 바카라사이트 analysis overlooked changing enrolment patterns since 바카라사이트 pandemic struck. ¡°The assumption is that we¡¯ve done nothing about it,¡± he said. ¡°In fact, we were responding quickly.¡±

He said locals left jobless by 바카라사이트 pandemic were queuing up for ¡°stackable¡± micro-credentials that could be combined into master¡¯s degrees, and courses in industry sectors targeted by federal stimulus money.

¡°When 바카라사이트y say 바카라사이트 world is going to end because we won¡¯t have any students, I¡¯m looking at all 바카라사이트 commonwealth money going into modern manufacturing, hydrogen clusters [and] renewable energy and thinking: ¡®I almost don¡¯t have any room for 바카라사이트 international students,¡¯¡± Professor Bentley said.

¡°Of course, we¡¯d love to have 바카라사이트m back, [but] we are shifting 바카라사이트 focus away from this purported dependence on international [money]. We¡¯ve moved on.¡±

CQU vice-chancellor Nick Klomp said he welcomed analyses of university financial positions, ¡°but in CQU¡¯s case 바카라사이트ir assumptions are not based on 바카라사이트 fullness of information¡±.

¡°The analyses we¡¯ve seen fail to take into account our significant financial response at 바카라사이트 outset of 바카라사이트 pandemic, which saw 바카라사이트 university reduce its expenditure in line with its revised revenue forecasts,¡± he said.

john.ross@ws-2000.com