22 June 2020

Chinese ANU students keen to get back to Canberra

| Dominic Giannini
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ANU

ANU will be one of the first Australian universities to receive international students since Australia shut its borders months ago. Photo: ANU.

International students have welcomed news of a pilot program from the ACT Government to bring 350 overseas students back to the Australian National University (ANU) and University of Canberra (UC).

Thousands of students were left in limbo overseas when the Australian Government closed its borders in March, having already shut its border to China at the start of February.

Jerry* – a third-year artificial intelligence student at ANU – has been stuck in China’s Hubei province, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, and had to postpone his flights to Canberra because of the shutdown.

“I thought I would have a better chance and be able to see the world better in Australia, so I came to Australia,” he said, telling Region Media how eager he was to return to Canberra.

“ANU has been very helpful, they have got an online lab, I can [still] work with my tutors and go online for a video meeting one-on-one, but the internet here is kind of difficult.”

Jerry also needs to access specialised computer equipment for his studies which has impeded his research because labs are harder to access in China.

“I live far away from the laboratory and I need scientific computers to do coding and programming,” he said.

“If I want I can go to the lab here but I cannot do it every day like I could on campus.”

UC Vice-Chancellor Professor Paddy Nixon said the plan is to charter a flight from an Asia-Pacific country and bring currently enrolled international students back to Australia by mid-July.

Around 2800 international students from ANU and more than 400 from UC remain offshore.

An email from ANU to its international students who are stranded overseas has informed them that the universities are working together to bring a small number of them back through the pilot program.

ANU letter

A message to ANU’s international students informing them about the ACT’s pilot program. Photo: Supplied.

Jerry says he wants to be on the first flight to Australia and intends to sign up straight away so he can complete his studies and graduate from ANU, with only one-semester left for his degree.

The same isolation and health protocols would apply to international students under the scheme that were in place for the Australian residents who recently arrived in the ACT from India and Nepal.

Students will have to do a 14-day mandatory quarantine period, which will be paid for by the university. However, all students will need to pay for their own flights to Australia.

Australia’s border is likely to remain closed for tourists until at least 2021, Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham said.

*Names have been changed for the purpose of this story.

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Not sure what the UC are thinking the international students are going to be doing while their here. My daughter is currently enrolled & doing a Midwifery course & has been advised that all subjects will be taken on line for the remainder of the year. Surely the university isn’t going to conduct face to face lessons & allow access to Labs for the international students only. Seems unusual that subjects are currently being undertaken on line & appear to be continuing this way for the remainder of the year, yet the university is hell bent on bringing students from who knows where, to Canberra so they can supposedly self isolate in their rooms for 14 days then study on line as they have been doing already. Seems like a huge health risk for no apparent gain for the students

HiddenDragon8:29 pm 22 Jun 20

This is presumably being driven as much by the ACT Government as it is by the ANU and UC –

“Services exports are now a key driver of Canberra’s growth, particularly from the higher education and tourism sectors.” [2019-20 ACT Budget Paper No.3, section 1.1]

– and stories such as this are a potent reminder of the extent to which the broader ACT economy (not just the Universities) have come to rely on the overseas student trade –

https://the-riotact.com/perfect-storm-halts-one-city-hill-project/380802

Bahadir Cangar8:13 am 22 Jun 20

As Australian citizens we are not allowed to international travel. Non citizens entering to country does not make sense. It is not fair. I understand students wanting to come back. There are thousands of people in Australia wanting to go overseas and come back for so many reasons. Ignoring all these Australian citizens needs and allowing just students is nonsense. If travel to Australia is going to be allowed, it should be allowed to every one with special rules and precautions. This is discrimination.

I think your understanding of the restrictions placed on Austrlians leaving and entering the country is somewhat miss guided.

As an Australian you can leave the country for good reason, some examples are working, to study and to live. You just need to apply for permission and show proof you are leaving on a semi permanent basis.

As for coming back every Australian citizen and resident can return so long as they go into hotel quarantine for 14 days.

The outbound restrictions are mostly target at tourism and short term business trips, which ordinarily make up the bulk of outbound travel.

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