Economic headwinds, scandals in vocational educational and a series of well-publicised attacks on students had seen the number of Indians seeking Australian qualifications crater.
"It’s an extraordinary impact. Profound and far-reaching," says Western Sydney University vice-chancellor Barney Glover. "I don't think we have faced anything like this in higher education at any time, certainly in the last 30 years." "My sense is that most universities will take a big hit in 2020 but it will not be terminal because they are taking strong finance measures ... but the impact will vary from university to university," says University of Queensland chancellor Peter Varghese, a former secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
"I think it's the messaging and signalling that we need to make sure the government is getting right," says University of Sydney vice-chancellor Michael Spence. The high-stakes crisis has triggered a reappraisal of the business model that has prevailed in universities over recent decades. The growth of international education has been a shared endeavour with Labor and Coalition governments, who encouraged universities to diversify their revenue streams, taking the pressure off the public purse. The government accounted for around 85 per cent of university funding in 1990; today, it is 30 per cent.
Universities are quick to add this is not just about the money. They have talked up the infusion of multicultural talent on campuses and the goodwill towards Australia generated among hundreds of thousands alumni spread throughout Asia. "Every university has been aware for some time of that and has strategies for diversifying their sources of international students. But the reality is that while Chinese demand remained very high, those diversification strategies didn’t advance as easily as people might have hoped."
Right time to pop their bubles made by cash from overseas students.
Universities have been behind the knowledge curve for years. Being forced online has woken up students who should have been aware of this. The flotsam left behind can continue to be trained as functionally illiterate teachers.
They took so many years of raking in the revenue; did they not have contingency plans?
What about the students, isn’t it safe to open classes now...?
It is imperative to add a lot more courses online, especially first year courses. This would mean increasing your capacity for students. Put money into the teaching staff not expanding buildings.
Sad to see the jobs go but the university system is a business not a home of learning.
Their ridiculous reliance on Chinese students was always going to end in tears - time to face the music
OMG, really? QUICK, open up the borders, let the overseas students flood in NOW. Nevermind the second wave and subsequent Coronavirus related fatalities, WON’T SOMEBODY PLEASE THINK OF THE UNIVERSITY MONEY!!!
In one year, a lecturer failed 50% of the class in a core unit. Next year, another lecturer passed them all. Standards dropped with no checks. In fact the lecturer who called them had to justify it. Students come from serving rate universities in India. Aim to get jobs in coz
Is this what happens when the business model is principally based on cash-up-front foreign students as the preferred ‘client’, as they have been referred to for quite some time now. 🤔
I know a course that marketed to India five years ago- they have hundreds of Indian students who have a primary intention to get a visa. Local students suffer. The university loves the income. Staff are worked to bone with large numbers.
Vice chancellor earn over $800,000 a year. Universities have hundreds of millions of dollars coming in from thousands of overseas students. Universities build hunters if millions of dollars of buildings every year. Standards are lowered so students get a pass and feed the machine
Consider it a market correction.
Oh dear ... hope all those identity politic PC obsessed teachers who are opposed to free speech don’t lose their jobs. That would be tragic
Universities need to focus on its domestic market and open opportunities for students here and stop being greedy.
we have kept this system for the money & the greed of the UNIVERSITY sector, not Australians, the University sector Should ONLY be for Australians not the Chinese
If it leads to higher standards for research grants, that can only be a good thing. Too many academics touting questionable studies which end up in The Guardian.
It’s a shame that they’re sacking people but their hierarchy wouldn’t dream of taking a pay cut off their million dollar salary! What happened to “We’re all in this together”? Seems not to include their salaries!!
Universities need to focus on local courses that drive degrees that support a more focused local growth. No longer must they focus on huge building programs nor on Chinese culture integration. Future OS students need to come here to learn & integrate into the Australian democracy
Teach a postgrad class in a major university Business School - the standards are appalling and most pass
Uni’s have sold out, selling worthless degrees that mean nothing. They act like any other business these days, profit focused. Ten world has lost its mind in neo liberalism economics, which basically means each person for themselves and fuck everyone else
It's time to take responsibility for ourselves and use our universities to educate Australian kids. We have the wherewithal to do it, because we've done it before. We've been lucky, then (not so) clever, for others, now it's time for local innovation for the sake of all our kids.
Good! These universities are money grubbing international business' that favor international (chinese) students over Australians. Should be free for Australians to go to uni.
Great news. Less Annaliese Van Diemen’s in the world
They are NOT a business. Money and universities like oil and water. They do not mix - corny cliche but to the point.
The VCs need to be sacked. They mismanaged their business models by selling degrees to International Students
No prize for guessing here!
Scout time the university sector took a hit After years of sucking the blood out of overseas students, lowering standards to pump thousands of cash cows thru the 451 VISA scams