While Australia’s higher education system is in crisis, countries with open borders are witnessing an international student rebound, according to a recent analysis from the Mitchell Institute at Victoria University (CRICOS Provider: Melbourne 00124K; Sydney 02475D).
International students are traveling to Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States in record numbers, despite the pandemic, but Australia and New Zealand are seeing severe decreases in their international student populations.
Key Takeaways:
- Open-border countries are seeing an influx of international students while Australia’s university education system is in disarray.
- Victoria University’s report is titled “Student, Interrupted: International Education and the Pandemic.”
- According to the report, while markets in Australia and New Zealand have continued to decrease, markets in the UK, the US, and Canada have rebounded.
International education is a significant component of how many countries handle education investment. The research emphasizes how governments are refocusing their efforts on attracting international students.
The report titled “Student, interrupted: International education and the pandemic” looked at five major international student destinations: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
It was determined that from early to mid-2020, there was a considerable reduction in new international students in all countries. While markets in Australia and New Zealand have continued to decline, markets in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada have rebounded.
It begs the issue of whether potential Australian students have moved on, or whether Australia will see a similar surge when international student borders reopen.
In the UK, new international students are up 37 percent from pre-COVID levels (February 2020). Between October 2020 and September 2021, however, new student visa applications for Australia fell by 70 percent.
The study indicates a complex situation in which the pandemic had diverse effects on international students from all over the world.
Surprisingly, India has overtaken China as the leading source of overseas students. China’s new student visas are still 25% cheaper than they were before the outbreak.
According to Mitchell Institute research, until the borders are reopened, the Australian education sector and businesses that rely on international students will lose AU$20 billion each year.
The most recent COVID-19 variation has raised further doubts about how many international students will be permitted to return in the first semester of 2022.
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