Universities in Australia and New Zealand are distressed about potentially losing their “attractiveness” to overseas students as the region has lost the primary control in handling the COVID-19 pandemic situation.
According to Sally Wheeler, Australian National University deputy vice-chancellor for international strategy, while they have well-qualified international education to offer to international students and those wanting to work in the country, they face a challenge brought about by the absence of a concrete timeline
Key Takeaways:
- Universities in Australia fear appearing “less attractive” to international academics.
- Losing key control in the pandemic situation can cause contagion effects in research competitiveness.
- The international student community has favored in-person instruction, putting AU and NZ universities in a tight situation.
The lack of a concrete timeline has a causal sequence on research competitiveness, eventually causing a significant drop in international student enrollment. On top of this challenge, concerns about academic recruitment are also perceived as a reason for the evident decline in revenue.
International students have been carefully choosing which study destinations have the best response to the pandemic situation. In the cases of Australia and New Zealand, they have accessible campuses, but the worse COVID-19 outcomes also come under consideration.
While international students cannot easily travel to Australia because of the travel restrictions, they cannot also attend compulsory overseas study modules. Some cannot leave the country to carry out their research or even attend events and conferences.
Wheeler added that their “first-mover advantage” is rooted in the safety and well-being of everyone. However, the international student community has favored in-person instruction, putting them in a challenging situation.
Similar challenges arise in New Zealand as the government is unlikely to issue new visas until at least early 2022, leaving the educational institutions with fear of missing out on new opportunities.
According to University of Otago international director Jason Cushen, there is no denial about the shift from a feeling of safety to a perception of difficulty – from this, they recognize the impact on the relationship between their global partners and the ongoing attempts to reach more students overseas.
Australia and New Zealand closing their borders have again caused heartbreak for the educational institutions as many educators want in-person education and campus life to resume as soon as possible.
In collaboration with educational institutions, the Australian government is drafting a recovery plan to help rebound post-pandemic.
Read more:
Abcodo is an MSM company that serves as the in-house recruitment partner of MSM Unify, a student recruitment and marketing platform that connects partner schools to top-tier agents and their students worldwide. Sign up now to get the latest updates and information on international student recruitment.
