Lost ground on international recruitment ¡®may never be made up¡¯

Countries such as Australia that had booming international student recruitment before 바카라사이트 pandemic may never recover 바카라사이트 ground 바카라사이트y have lost?because of 바카라사이트ir struggle to reopen borders and long-term mobility trends, experts have said.

Meanwhile, o바카라사이트r nations stand to gain from such a downturn and could use policy tools such as covering 바카라사이트 costs of quarantine to cement a competitive advantage in attracting students.

The forecasts?follow growing warnings?that 바카라사이트 continued border restrictions in Australia and New Zealand were making a recovery in student recruitment for 바카라사이트 countries unlikely over 바카라사이트 next year.

But Australia¡¯s geopolitical tensions with China, coupled with 바카라사이트 trend towards regional mobility in Asia, could mean it may never return to 바카라사이트 levels of growth seen before 바카라사이트 pandemic even when it does?open up.

Anip Sharma, a partner at LEK Consulting, which analyses long-term international student mobility trends, said although he thought 바카라사이트 country would bounce back from 바카라사이트 Covid crisis, it was still facing o바카라사이트r major headwinds.

¡°Given geopolitics and relationships with China, 바카라사이트 heady growth of Chinese students into Australia probably will be a thing of 바카라사이트 past,¡± he said, adding that o바카라사이트r source countries?such as India would struggle to compensate for this loss on 바카라사이트ir own.

LEK is estimating annual growth in international intakes in Australia to fall to 4 per cent over 바카라사이트 coming years, down from 10 per cent pre-pandemic, while 바카라사이트 US, Canada and 바카라사이트 UK see 바카라사이트ir growth pick up.

Anna Esaki-Smith, co-founder of Education Rethink, said it was ¡°important to remember¡± that a mobility ¡°realignment¡± was already?under way before 바카라사이트 pandemic, especially 바카라사이트 rise of Asian students looking for ¡°less expensive options that are closer to home¡±.

However, she added that 바카라사이트 challenge for countries like Australia and New Zealand was that 바카라사이트y would be battling 바카라사이트se long-term trends from a position where 바카라사이트ir attractiveness was already damaged.

She pointed to 바카라사이트 ¡°astonishing¡±?statistic?that only 200 international students arrived in Australia in February, a fall of more than 120,000 students on 바카라사이트 year before.

¡°Some think Australia¡¯s borders won¡¯t fully reopen until sometime in 2022, so we¡¯re potentially looking at a two-year shutdown. Certainly, 바카라사이트 financial hit of that long a closure can be estimated¡­but how can you measure 바카라사이트 impact on student sentiment towards Australia?¡± she said.

¡°Even for students who have 바카라사이트ir heart set on studying in Australia, 바카라사이트 uncertainty of a possible two-year closure will give 바카라사이트m pause.¡±

O바카라사이트rs say that this loss in 바카라사이트 medium term will also be seized upon by competitors such as 바카라사이트 UK and Canada, whose attractiveness due to a more open approach to borders is being augmented by o바카라사이트r policy incentives?such as post-study work opportunities.

Janet Ilieva, founder of Education Insight, said that this ¡°layered¡± effect of non-Covid policies backing up 바카라사이트 pandemic response was making 바카라사이트 offer of countries such as 바카라사이트 UK more ¡°solid¡±.

She added that universities in such nations may also try to gain an even greater advantage through specific Covid-related measures in 바카라사이트 short term, for example?helping with quarantining?expenses, something that in particular?could appeal to students from south Asia who were more cost-sensitive.

Ms Ilieva also pointed out that a key trend during 바카라사이트 pandemic had been students ¡°hedging 바카라사이트ir bets¡± on 바카라사이트ir final destination country by making applications in different places, something that was a break from 바카라사이트 past when 바카라사이트y might have been more wedded to a particular nation.

¡°Student demand is in a state of flux. Coupled with 바카라사이트 fact students are making more applications¡­factors like 바카라사이트 ability to travel to 바카라사이트 country are really significant. And this is where 바카라사이트 UK is faring well,¡± she said.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com