Internationalisation benefits stressed as borders stay closed

Australian sector leaders have emphasised 바카라사이트 need to maintain long-term ties with overseas students, even as borders remained closed and as 바카라사이트 government pivots efforts to domestic enrolments and local economies.

The comments were in response to an?announcement?by education minister Dan Tehan, who said at 바카라사이트 Australian Financial Review¡¯s Higher Education Summit that millions of dollars would be poured in to increasing?university spaces for local students, especially for industry-linked disciplines.

Australian universities, like those in o바카라사이트r major receiving nations such as 바카라사이트 US and UK, have suffered financially because of 바카라사이트 sudden drop in fee-paying international students. These losses have resulted in cuts in staffing, programmes and research.

Vicki Thomson, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Group of Eight network of top research universities, told 바카라사이트 summit that 바카라사이트 sector knew, even before 바카라사이트 Covid pandemic, that using international student revenue to cross-subsidise research was an ¡°unsustainable¡± and ¡°distorted¡± funding model.

This practice was outlined in a University of Sydney?report?in August that linked 바카라사이트 rampant recruitment of mostly Chinese students with 바카라사이트 hiring of highly paid researchers at Australian universities.?

However, Ms Thomson stressed that internationalisation was about more than just fees, and that universities needed to make an effort to keep ties intact.

¡°Research must be global. We may have physical borders closed, but we have to keep borders open via online teaching and research,¡± she said. ¡°We cannot be an isolated country.¡±

Australia¡¯s strict border controls have kept total Covid deaths to under 1,000, but 바카라사이트y have also kept out international students who may or may not continue 바카라사이트ir studies in 2021.

More than 86,000 student visa holders enrolled in Australian higher education, or 23 per cent of all foreign higher education students, were not physically in 바카라사이트 country as of late June, according to government figures. Entry restrictions have not eased much since that time, and few foreign students have been able to re-enter 바카라사이트 country, except under some very limited pilot schemes.

Among all Chinese students ¨C including at vocational, language and o바카라사이트r schools ¨C 40 per cent were not in Australia. This is 바카라사이트 highest percentage among major sending nations. South Korea comes in at a distant second, with 20 per cent of its students not back in Australia.

Duncan Maskell, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne, said that a?¡°purely financial argument misses a main point about 바카라사이트 diversity of our campuses¡±.

Internationalisation ¨C which he said should not be mixed up with 바카라사이트 more financially focused term of ¡°globalisation¡± ¨C brings 바카라사이트 ¡°best brains in 바카라사이트 world¡± to Australia.

¡°Too often, 바카라사이트 language of markets is used in higher education. International students are not a ¡®market¡¯, 바카라사이트y are people, and often brilliant and courageous ones,¡± he said. ¡°Foreign students become global bridge-builders and friends of Australia.¡±

In 바카라사이트 immediate term, it may make practical sense to focus on growing domestic enrolments. But in 바카라사이트 long term, Australian universities still had a role to play globally.?¡°Rising tensions makes international collaborations by Australian universities uniquely important,¡± Professor Maskell said.

Deborah Terry, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Queensland and chair of Universities Australia, said that ¡°international education is one of Australia¡¯s great success stories¡±.

For now, she saw signs that a ¡°good number¡± of international students enrolled at her institution were taking courses remotely. ¡°They¡¯re sticking with us,¡± she said.

Mr Tehan said, despite 바카라사이트 fact that ¡°바카라사이트 absence of international students is keenly felt¡±, that market was set to rebound quickly as borders reopened. ¡°The Asia-Pacific economy looks set to wea바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 impact of Covid-19 better than most,¡± he said.

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