Crunch time for our universities as foreign students dry up

Chinese students Cloris Jiang (left) and Adrian Hanhui at Sydney University last year. Picture: John Feder.

The Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism has clearly discovered what our universities are also seeing: large numbers of Chinese international students are straining at the leash to come to Australia to study in 2021 or earlier.

Chinese students are now reluctant to go to the US and expose themselves to American turmoil, and in both the US and Britain there are high risks of COVID-19 infection.

So, at the moment, we have the best story in town.

The Chinese government in claiming that there is racial discrimination and violence against Chinese in Australia which threatens both our student education and tourism, two major Australian export industries. We are being punished for a number of sins, including 12 years of lecturing the Middle Kingdom on how it should be governed.

Without Chinese students, parts of our capital cities will suffer a major setback. So the universities, the states and Commonwealth (in that order) need to counter the Chinese Ministry of Culture allegations. It will require some deliberate and carefully planned strategic actions – a contrast to what has so far happened.

The first step is to recognise that unfortunately there is at least some validity in the Chinese claims, although in our rival, the US, the anti-Chinese feeling created by COVID-19 is very strong.

Our problem was compounded when the Chinese ambassador threatened our wine, tourism education and other industries. Australians don’t like being bullied and the threats rightly enraged the whole community (maybe that was the plan). Accordingly, our universities, state governments and even the Commonwealth have work to do to ensure the safety of our overseas students and show they are welcome. .

A good start can be made by the Commonwealth because, if the student job market remains depressed, we need to show that we will look after overseas students who are actually here.

The Commonwealth allocated $200 million to charities to help students who are in financial trouble. That seems to have run out in some areas so charities in conjunction with universities need to be invited to request more money to make sure that we are looking after the overseas students in Australia who can’t get work. My understanding is that Canberra would welcome moderate and well set out requests.

Opening up

The next step is to actually open the university campuses for all students and to set the rules for the opening.

Overseas students are not going to come to Australia unless they are assured that in the second half of 2020, and more particularly in 2021, universities will be open.

And opening university campuses in the current calendar year will help the overseas students currently residing in Australia.

The question of opening universities is on next month’s agenda at the national cabinet. There is no more important agenda item.

While there is no doubt that our universities have become too dependent on overseas students, they also developed an incredible market against stiff opposition from the UK and the US. At the same time, they have given us personal connections to the region that have greatly helped our national standing. Universities have rarely been given full credit for what has been an outstanding export achievement.

But with universities closed, tears are appearing in the fabric of higher education and a number of universities are planning major staff retrenchment and wage reduction programs.

Time to get organised

Opening the university campuses open requires lobbying on a major scale. There is no point in the Commonwealth lecturing the states or the odd speech from a vice chancellor. University board members, vice chancellors, lecturers and even junior staff in each university need to bombard state government politicians with messages of urgency.

Once opening university campuses becomes a pressing issue in each state, when it is raised at national cabinet an agenda is likely to be agreed upon.

Naturally the campus operating rules for universities will become part of that agenda.

There is no reason why it can’t be compulsory for all students to wear masks as happens overseas. There needs to be a number of testing stations and all students must have a mobile phone with COVID-19 app. If we undertake these simple tasks, which are in line with what overseas universities are doing then the risks are greatly reduced.

Once one state agrees to open, that places incredible pressure on the others.

The next hurdle is to convince the students that, despite what the Ministry of Chinese Culture says, they are welcome. Victoria has the option of using its Belt and Road connection in marketing the state.

If the marketing is successful sufficient air travel must be organised. To bring students out in 2020 will require ingenuity but by 2021 it is possible, there will be a lot more flights to Australia. Of course, overseas students, like all overseas visitors to Australia, need to spend two weeks in quarantine.

This will be a major logistic exercise and planning for the two week quarantine should be undertaken now, including advance bookings.

The universities also need to re-examine their financial strategies. Some are borrowing because costs are too high. That can’t continue. Spending the surpluses combined with borrowings to undertake building programs should stop immediately.

The next step is to look closely at how local students are being taught. At the moment a great many are leaving tertiary institutions and not finding it easy to work in the employment growth areas middle sized enterprises. And the working from home boom doubles the difficulty for young people. We are looking at a necessary long term revamp of tertiary education.