ANU ‘flexible’ as coronavirus leaves Chinese students stranded
Australian National University will do all it can to help more than 4000 of its students in mainland China, says Julie Bishop.
Australian National University will do all it can to help more than 4000 of its students in mainland China, former foreign minister Julie Bishop says.
Ms Bishop, whose installation ceremony as chancellor on Friday was postponed, said ANU was working hard to help its students stranded in China as a result of the government’s entry ban on non-Australians from China.
ANU has 5500 students from mainland China who make up 25 per cent of its student population. More than 4000 of the students from China are still out of the country, most having gone home for the summer break.
ANU is due to resume normal classes from February 24 but the ability of its students in China to make the start of the academic year is in question as a result of the travel ban.
Ms Bishop said the university was investigating allowing students to have online classes in China, deferring courses without penalty and possibly having intensive courses over the winter break.
“We are working very closely with Australians regulators in this regard,” she said. “Our focus is to provide them the flexibility they need to complete their studies, minimising any disruption.”
She said ANU had set up a committee of its own experts in infectious diseases to advise the university on the situation.
Ms Bishop, who left politics after not contesting the federal election last May, would not comment on how she thought the federal government was handling the coronavirus crisis, including its decision to close the borders to people from China for two weeks.
“The Prime Minister and the government have taken decisions which I assume have been made in consultation with national and international health authorities,” she said.
Ms Bishop rejected suggestions that ANU had become too dependent on a large number of students from mainland China.
“International students add to the culture of a university like ANU,” she said. “ANU has a global involvement and provides the experience of studying with students from around the world.”
She said having a large number of overseas students “adds to the richness of the student experience”.
“It’s not a question of dependency,” Ms Bishop said. “International students and the university derive mutual benefits.”
She said the university had no plans to expand its current study body, which is just over 20,000 full-time equivalent students.
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