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The ANU’s Pledge Towards International Students is Needed Now More Than Ever By Hazel Ang
The Morrison government has recently announced they are encouraging more domestic student enrolments through an extensive reshuffle and increase of HECS fees. This modification was made in order to ‘guide students to the required occupations’ and make up for the loss of the large income from international enrolment. Once again, the government has only taken the financial gain of international students into consideration. Education services are Australia’s fourthlargest export. Various student bodies have been lobbying for the government to provide financial support to international students, to no avail. Instead, universities have had to take it up to their own hands to provide some form of financial support for international students. According to Times Higher Education, the ANU has consistently ranked as the most ‘international’ university in Australia, based on the number of international enrolments and its global reputation. It is now more than ever that the ANU needs to lead by example. As the front -running Australian university, it should be providing adequate support to the international students’ community; regardless if they are doing distance-learning in their
home country or are currently roughing it out in Australia. It is commendable that ANU has been providing financial support for accommodation needs to international students ever since the travel ban to China has been in place. However, more needs to be done. International students need to know that ANU has got their back and will do whatever it takes to provide the necessary support to ensure they have the best educational experience, regardless if it is done off-shore or on-campus. The ANU should firstly identify that on-campus and offshore international students are likely to be facing two different forms of complex issues. On-campus students are likely to feel extra isolated and homesick since going home to their home country may not be an option. Even for students who have the option to return home, it remains difficult as only as 350 international students will be selected for the ANU-UC Pilot Program, where a chartered flight will bring students back to Canberra in time for Semester 2. At this moment, what is clear is that international travel to and from Australia is likely to be banned until 2021.
