Shiyu Bao and her fellow classmates who are international students from China, get ready to take pictures in their graduation gowns around campus at the University of Sydney, after their in-person graduation ceremony was cancelled during the coronavirus disease outbreak, in Sydney, Australia, July 4, 2020."I have polished my resume and have applied for a few jobs but I've had no success so far. I'm willing to do even unpaid internships as long as I get to stay here," said Bao.
Weighing down the other side of the equation was a host of negatives, almost all spurred by the coronavirus pandemic. Their classes had moved online, making study harder and less interactive, many friends had already returned home and the relatively high cost of living in Sydney was biting. With Australia already sliding into its worst recession in almost a century, education leaders expect the disappearance of international students to cost billions of dollars. Data on how many international students have left the country this year is not yet available, but anecdotal evidence on departures and data on new enrolments paints a worrying picture.
The slowdown in foreign student enrolments mean Australian universities are facing a revenue hit of between A$3.1 billion and A$4.8 billion this year alone, Catriona Jackson, Chief Executive of Universities Australia, told Reuters. The warning came after Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in April told foreign students to go back to their home countries if they were unable to make ends meet during the pandemic, adding they weren't entitled to any welfare payments.
Shiyu Bao, who graduated from the University of Sydney in July with a degree in Public Relations, is desperately looking for permanent work before her student visa expires in September."A majority of my friends have gone back home but I really want to stay here," said Bao, who is working part-time at a student organisation."I have polished my resume and have applied for a few jobs but I've had no success so far.