Light at end of tunnel for Oz unis

After months of being barred from campuses due to travel restrictions, some international students studying in Australia are finally able to return.

The news came after a consensus was reached by the Australian national cabinet - comprising of the prime minister, all state and territory premiers and chief ministers. It agreed to work on bringing back international students two weeks ago and its first pilot scheme was announced late last week.

The scheme will begin with the Australian Capital Territory - where the capital Canberra is located - and will allow up to 350 students from the University of Canberra and the Australian National University to return to campus.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has described the proposal as excellent and the scheme is now awaiting formal approval from the Commonwealth government.

"We are spending two weeks contacting the students to offer the opportunity to return," said Paddy Nixon, vice-chancellor and president of the University of Canberra.

The plan is to gather students across different countries in a single "hub destination" and fly them to Canberra in a charter flight.

Upon arrival, students will need to undergo quarantine according to government guidelines.

"We are looking to find one location for the quarantine. It will likely be a hotel in Canberra," said Nixon.

Students will only have to pay for the flight, charged according to a general price, while the fee for the quarantine and other charges will be borne by the ACT government and the universities.

Once students complete their 14-day quarantine, they will be allowed to return to campus.

Still, precautions will be taken inside campuses. "We are following the government's preventive measures in the university, still having some classes online, but resuming seminars and labs with a restricted number of students," said the UC vice-chancellor.

Among a total of 2,500 international students at UC, 400 have been unable to return to campus.

Nixon admitted that the first flight will not be able to bring all of them back, so the university is prioritizing students based on their study needs.

"Health professionals in their final years and those who require access to laboratory research that can hardly be done remotely will have priority," he said.

Yet, he believes other students will be able to return soon after the pilot scheme.

"The first flight is important as it will lay the groundwork for the second flight," said Nixon. "For me, it is not only about the first flight. If we do it carefully and thoughtfully, it will be the template to demonstrate and welcome other schemes in the country."

There is currently no plan for a second flight, but Nixon remains hopeful.

Australia is home to several top-tier higher education institutions, which together attract more than 350,000 international students each year.

The news is exciting both for students hoping to return to their regular study routine and for universities that are worried about the negative effects of distance education.

"In the short term, we do not see a significant impact on research or the deferral of students, as they are engaged remotely," said Nixon. "But we are worried about the longer period."

The pilot scheme is expected to pump A$1 billion (HK$5.29 billion) back into the ACT's international education sector.

Moreover, the pilot's success will also likely bring back other international students across the country - some good news for universities as the sector is expected to see a financial loss of A$3 billion due to the pandemic.

Universities Australia - the country's peak university body representing 39 institutions - welcomed the pilot scheme.

"It is important that our hard-won success in limiting the spread of Covid-19 isn't jeopardized. That is why a trial for the safe return of students is a sensible approach," said its chief executive, Catriona Jackson.

The return of students will be crucial to reactivating businesses and creating jobs across the country, as the international education sector contributed A$39 billion to the Australian economy last year and supports 259,000 jobs across the nation, she added.

"A pilot is an important first step to a larger-scale return of our valued international friends in the future," she said.

However, China's education ministry has warned mainland students to think twice before going or returning to Australia to study.

In a recent statement, the ministry warned that "the global pandemic is still not under effective control" and that "there are still risks in international travel and opening campuses."

It also mentioned "racist incidents against Asians" in Australia and urged students to evaluate the risks before making decisions.

lisa.kao@singtaonewscorp.com