64 international students to fly into Darwin today, in first cohort to return to Australia since March

DARWIN is the first city in the country to see international students return to their studies, with 64 Charles Darwin University students arriving today on a flight from Singapore.

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DARWIN is the first city in the country to see international students return to their studies, with 64 Charles Darwin University students arriving today on a flight from Singapore.

The CDU students are from Vietnam, China, Indonesia, Japan and Hong Kong, and are the first group of overseas students to enter Australia since the introduction of hard border restrictions in March due to COVID-19.

Upon arrival, the students were taken to the NT government quarantine facility at Howard Springs, where they will spend the next 14 days.

They will receive NT government support that includes employability skills training, social networking events, wellbeing workshops and employer meet and greet programs.

A group of international students with Charles Darwin University will be arriving today on a flight from Singapore. Picture: Che Chorley

CDU deputy vice-chancellor global strategy and advancement, Andrew Everett, said those confirmed on the flight were a mix of new and continuing students, enrolled in a range of VET, undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD programs, including law, nursing, IT, teaching, accounting and engineering.

“The students are excited to come or return to the Territory to study, and CDU is looking forward to welcoming them on campus, once they have been cleared by the Chief Health Officer,” he said

International students contribute an estimated $145m towards the NT economy each year and support almost 500 jobs.

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NT International Education Minister Nicole Manison said each student contributed an average of $40,693 each year to the Territory economy.

“We were the first government in Australia to bring back seasonal workers, and now we are the first government to bring back international students,” she said.

“By facilitating a pathway for international students to return to the Territory and to Australia, we are helping to diversify the economy, grow our population and support local jobs.”

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The Darwin international student return is a pilot program that will help inform a wider re-entry of international students to Australia.

The Northern Territory government has started working with the international education sector for more international students to return to the Territory to study next year.