campusreview . com . au international education sector and the wider community to better support international students ’ experience .
“ Educating international students is both a privilege and a responsibility ,” Tran told Campus Review .
“ It ’ s a privilege to have the opportunity to educate students from across the world but , it comes with professional and ethical responsibility to ensure a high-quality experience for them .”
The Best Practice International Student Engagement Project will focus on identifying good practices , engagement activities and strategies to provide effective support for international students .
There is also a need to learn from practices that now are not so effective or sustainable Tran said , as this will help make recommendations to the different stakeholders .
The project will release three guides , one targeted directly at overseas students , another to education providers and a third to communities and other organisations outside the education sector .
The Deakin team will focus on international student ’ s connectedness with the local community and domestic students , as well as work-integrated learning , employability , mental health , wellbeing and engagement in online and blended learning .
“ In order to develop effective support programmes and activities , it is very important to understand the needs , the characteristics and the aspiration of international students ,” Tran said .
“ Without that understanding , we could hardly tailor the support that is suitable for them .”
In addition to their education , international students want to experience and engage with their host community and host country , Tran said , something that isn ’ t easy to achieve .
“ It is really important to foster the connectedness between international and domestic students as well as the local community , and nurture a sense of belonging .
“ Reciprocally , the Australian community has a lot to learn from international students .”
She believes that stigma around international students plays a major role in how the local community interacts with them .
“ Some people think international students take away jobs , places in the accommodation market , and university spots from local students .”
According to Tran , international students make a significant contribution to Australian education , culture , society , politics and the economy .
However , with the Covid-19 crisis , their contribution has been overshadowed and impacted negatively , while the news around them was mostly focused on the loss of university income and their vulnerabilities .
“ International students are valuable cultural , educational and language resources , given their transnational knowledge , skills , network and experiences ,” Tran said .
“ They have great potential to contribute in terms of enriching the life , the culture , and the livelihood of local Australians .
“ It is more critical than ever before that we focus on supporting international students ’ experience and promote Australia as a welcoming and caring study destination .”
An issue of status Tran believes that one of the key challenges encountered by international students is seeking work-integrated learning or part-time casual jobs in their field of study .
International students are often forced to take on casual jobs in the service or construction industries where they do not always get the minimum wage .
While being under a student visa , international students are limited to working 20 hours per week , and the desperate need to cover their basic living expenses forces some of them to take on extra shifts and get paid under the table .
As inflation continues to rise , international students see themselves in a difficult position where they do not always have family to support them .
Another visa held by international student is the Temporary Graduate visa , giving eligible international graduate students full rights to work in Australia , without any restrictions on hours .
The policy intention of the post-study work visa is to give international student graduates the opportunity to stay in Australia for between two and four years to gain work experience related to their field of study , and enhance their employability .
Yet , Tran said that there ’ s a gap between policy intention and the reality , and the demand and supply of the labour market .
Educating international students is both a privilege and a responsibility .
One of the key barriers is the lack of understanding of employers about what a post-graduation work visa is , and the benefits of international graduates ’ contribution to their business .
“ Businesses are worried about investing in those particular international graduates and setting them up , and then having to start all over again when their visa expires .
“ There ’ s a need to educate employers better about the value of international student graduates and the value of the post-graduation work visa to their business ,” Tran said .
When facing the Australian employment market , Chris , a former international student , was left baffled as he couldn ’ t find a job in his area .
“ Many job applications require you to be either a permanent resident or a citizen : international students are excluded from the get-go .”
When he could land some interviews , Chris always faced the visa questions that he felt “ stressed out ” his future employers .
“ Employers do not want to spend time and money on international students , they know that if they want to keep them longer they will need a sponsorship , and that is costly .”
Chris had to work in construction for months before finally landing a role in his field of study .
“ I landed a role but I had to lie , I had to tell them that my girlfriend at the time will be able to give me the paperwork to stay long term .
“ I ’ m sure they would not have given me my chance otherwise ,” he added .
According to Chris , Australian businesses value local experience , something that it is difficult to acquire as a foreigner .
“ There should be partnerships between universities and business to provide international students with internships in their field of study .
“ This would allow us to have that first local experience that will ultimately help us get a job after ,” Chris concluded . ■
* Name has been changed to provide anonymity .
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