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Catriona Jackson . Picture : Supplied .
Back on campus
UA chief on international students ’ return .
By Emilie Lauer
As tens of thousands of international students return to Australia ’ s university campuses in 2023 , sector leaders have called for more support for foreign students to live and work in the country .
In early February , the Chinese government announced that over 40,000 students will need to fly back to Australia to study on campus to have their qualifications recognised .
The announcement came as an additional 40,000 international students from 144 countries attended face-to-face classes after semester one resumed .
According to Universities Australia chief executive Catriona Jackson , said universities are well prepared for the big return .
“ There are issues for universities to consider in the way they care for students , the way they bring them back into that oncampus experience ,” Ms Jackson said .
“ But the overwhelming feeling is one of incredible enthusiasm to get back onto campus , back into the classroom , back into seminars , tutorials and into the library with your friends .”
Ms Jackson said the higher education sector needs to invest more to keep international students in Australia after their studies to help fill nationwide skills shortages .
“ Only 16 % of [ international ] students stay . We have a job of work to do to ensure that more of them stay and feel welcome to stay ,” she said .
Join Campus Review in a conversation with Ms Jackson .
CR : Let ’ s discuss China ’ s online study ban , what was the general reaction from ? CJ : We were pleased to see the announcement . Universities always expected that the alterations would revert to the way they were before Covid-19 . It works in a continuum with China ’ s opening up .
In the end , it encourages students to get back to Australia , and that ’ s a good thing .
Do you think universities were adequately prepared for such a volume of students to arrive ? University has been preparing for the return of students from 144 countries around the world for a considerable period .
“ We ’ ve learnt a huge amount through Covid-19 .
It is absolutely fair to say that we were a little surprised , that the announcement was quite quick and that semester one was the date rather than semester two . But we ’ ve been preparing for the return of students , and universities are very pleased to see them come back .
Also , we need to be keeping in mind that 60,000 of the hundred thousand outstanding Chinese students had already come back .
Out of the remaining 40,000 , most of those students have visas already , and many of those students are postgraduate . It ’ s not as though they ’ ve all got to be here with their lunch bag in hand , on the very first day .
In what ways will the return of international students benefit Australia ’ s higher education sector ? International students and the domestic students have been waiting for this day for a considerable period all through Covid-19 .
The one very strong message we heard from students everywhere in China , in India , in Nepal , in Brunswick , in Bundaberg ,
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