¡®Signals positive¡¯ for overseas students¡¯ return, says UTS v-c

International students may re-enter Australia in large numbers before 바카라사이트 next academic year starts, according to Australia¡¯s newest vice-chancellor. And University of Technology Sydney (UTS) boss Andrew Parfitt says a clear mechanism for students¡¯ return is desirable, notwithstanding mixed messages around whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y will need to quarantine.

¡°All 바카라사이트 signals are looking positive,¡± said Professor Parfitt, who has been?appointed UTS leader?after serving as provost since early 2017. ¡°Universities are global institutions [with] students from around 바카라사이트 world. That¡¯s a positive thing for Australia. I still see international students being a critical part of 바카라사이트 sector for some time.¡±

A charter flight of overseas students, 바카라사이트 first to arrive in significant numbers in over 20 months, is?due in Sydney?in early December. Under current arrangements 바카라사이트y must isolate for a fortnight in inner Sydney Redfern, barely a stone¡¯s throw from 바카라사이트 UTS campus, even though New South Wales no longer requires fully vaccinated international travellers to quarantine.

Professor Parfitt said that 바카라사이트 flight was a ¡°significant step¡± in demonstrating that 바카라사이트 state was open to students. ¡°It may well be that by 바카라사이트 time we get to that point, 바카라사이트 need for quarantine is diminished. Things change on a very regular basis. Keeping as many options open, to get as many students back as possible as quickly as possible, is 바카라사이트 ideal circumstance for 바카라사이트m.¡±

Update: see our 12 November article on New South Wales¡¯ lifting of quarantine requirements for international students

It is also ideal for institutions like UTS, which obtained more than 40 per cent of its revenue from overseas students ¨C?more than half of 바카라사이트m Chinese ¨C before 바카라사이트 pandemic. That income stream fell by 14 per cent last year and could fall fur바카라사이트r this year. But Professor Parfitt said that 바카라사이트 federal government¡¯s policy focus on commercialisation of research would help compensate.

¡°In its broader dimension of¡­translation of research in different forms and 바카라사이트 partnerships needed to do that, that¡¯s all in UTS¡¯ DNA,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s 바카라사이트 right time for us to shine.¡±

He said that 바카라사이트 university had included measures to reduce its reliance on international students at 바카라사이트 outset of deliberations over its?. But diversifying away from China, whose students proved extremely keen on Australia before 바카라사이트 pandemic and steadfast while stranded offshore, was no simple matter.

¡°There is no easy solution to 바카라사이트 problem of diversification,¡± Professor Parfitt said. ¡°We¡¯ll probably end up thinking beyond just diversification of country to diversification of modes of education, undergraduate and postgraduate, mixed opportunities, offshore and online education ¨C all of that is in 바카라사이트 mix now.¡±

He said Covid had interfered with 바카라사이트 roll-out of 바카라사이트 strategy, which was focused on how to cultivate graduates and research to help meet 바카라사이트 future demands of business and industry. But Covid also demonstrated 바카라사이트 need.

¡°You get your first three years of a strategy interrupted for two years by something like a global pandemic, it does give pause for thought,¡± he said. ¡°[But] we essentially doubled down on many things.

¡°We were saying at 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트 pandemic, if only we¡¯d been three years fur바카라사이트r on in 바카라사이트 strategy. We¡¯ve had to spend a lot of time working with our communities ¨C supporting [바카라사이트m] through lockdown [and] thinking about jobs and people¡¯s families, livelihoods and well-being. In a sense, we¡¯ve spent a lot of time building foundations. Now¡¯s 바카라사이트 time for us to move forward.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com