Universities Australia chief executive Luke Sheehy says the federal government’s commitment to growing international student numbers is a welcome sign that it recognises the sector’s central role in funding education, research and the wider economy.
Speaking on ABC Radio Sydney Breakfast with Craig Reucassel, Sheehy said the change followed sustained advocacy during the election year. “For the last 12 months during the election year, we were making the case to both sides of politics that we needed a strong and growing and sustainable international education system for Australia. Not only does it help the Australian economy, but it helps universities fund essential teaching and learning for Australians and research and development,” he said. “After the election, the government now has announced that there will be growth in the system. That is something we’ve been calling for. It is the really important part of how we fund Australia’s world class university system. So, we welcome it, and we look forward to working with the government on further details.”
While the government still plans to set limits on international student places, Sheehy said the growth commitment was “a sign that the Labor government recognises just how important international education is to this country”. He noted that “in 2023, Australia would’ve been in a recession if we didn’t have international education”.
He described the sector as a $52 billion industry, vital to state economies. “It is one of the biggest services economies in this country. It serves states like Victoria by more than 20 per cent of their GDP and New South Wales to the tune of around 10 per cent. It creates jobs, it creates opportunities, but importantly, it creates a bridge to the outside world and it creates friends in our region, and this region is the fastest growing region in the world with millions of students looking for education.”
Sheehy rejected claims that international students are driving Australia’s housing crisis. “We have said repeatedly that international students are not the cause of Australia’s housing crisis. We have a construction problem in housing, and we know it was a big issue in the election campaign,” he said. “We need housing for international students, but we need housing for Australian families as well. It’s a team Australia effort. If we’re going to get more housing for all Australians, universities are looking forward to working with the government on ensuring that there’s more housing available for Australian students and, of course, the international students that come from over 140 countries.”
He pointed to Reserve Bank data showing that international students account for just four per cent of the private rental market. “In areas around metropolitan universities, vacancy rates for rental properties are double that for other parts of the country. So, we’ve called it a furphy and we’re looking forward to working with the government,” he said. “It is important that universities have investment in housing, but we’ve had billions of dollars stripped out of the university system and we need more funding and more capital to build that housing for students.”
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