Coronavirus: Western Sydney University to offset Chinese students’ travel ban costs

Thousands of Chinese students are gathering in Thailand before flying on to Australia to commence their uni studies.

WSU vice-chancellor Barney Glover said the university would offer students who transited via third countries a $1500 contribution.

Thousands of Chinese students are gathering in Thailand, waiting out a 14-day coronavirus quarantine period before flying to Australia to start their university studies.

And as the third-country transit route to Australia becomes more popular, Western Sydney University has offered its 300 ­Chinese students stranded by the travel ban $1500 to help cover the expense of the two-week quarantine they must spend overseas ­before coming to Australia.

On Thursday, the government extended the travel ban — which prevents all but Australian citizens and residents from flying direct from China to Australia — for ­another week until next Saturday.

In positive news, the government was told by its medical advisory committee that there were “signs the spread of the coronavirus in Chinese provinces outside Hubei province is slowing”.

“We will need to watch closely whether this positive trend continues as people return to work after the holidays,” the official government statement said.

Scott Morrison said the government was looking for ways to reduce the impact of the travel ban and would examine “things we can do to try and minimise the impact on particular sectors, particularly in the education sector”.

“We’ll be considering some of those arrangements over the course of the next 24 hours.”

It is believed options under consideration include easing the conditions for Chinese students to enter Australia.

WSU vice-chancellor Barney Glover said the university would offer students who transited via third countries a $1500 contribution once they arrived in Australia to help offset expenses. “We felt that students affected through no fault of their own should be given some support,” he said.

Professor Glover said WSU had about 300 students affected by the travel ban. Most of them were still in China, but a few were ­already in Thailand. “Some students will be coming through to Australia over the next few days,” he said.

Jake, an RMIT Chinese student in Thailand who is due to fly to Australia on Monday, said he ­estimated 5000 to 6000 fellow students were in the country waiting to come to Australia. He has been in Thailand since February 9 and said he had suffered from the uncertainty of not knowing whether he would be permitted to enter Australia.

Education agent Gary Li, president of the Education Consultants Association of Australia, said 20 of his students had already arrived in Australia via Thailand and he was helping 300 more who were in their 14-day quarantine period.

Speaking from Bangkok, Mr Li said parents of Chinese students were watching to see if the first ­students made it to Australia successfully. Now that some students have been allowed through, he ­expected more Chinese students to arrive in Thailand next week.

Other Chinese students are known to be transiting through Malaysia, Dubai and Cambodia.

No other universities have followed WSU in offering to subsidise students to come via third countries. Some are known to be concerned that if students find conditions unsafe in their transit country, the university may be responsible.

Mr Li said the uncertainty caused by the travel ban was risking Australia’s reputation as a provider of international education.

He said parents of Chinese students understood the need for a travel ban, but many told him they had intended to send their children for a second degree in Australia but were now saying to him “we are not thinking of that anymore”.

“There should be a very clear decision for the students as to what they can and can’t do,” Mr Li said.