E&OE  

RON WILSON: Labor and the Coalition moved to cap international student numbers. Universities have accused both major political parties of engaging in a race to the bottom by targeting international students as a solution to Australia’s housing crisis. With international students being used as scapegoats to stave off political pressure, experts are concerned that further cuts to international student numbers could harm Australia’s education sector and by extension, the overall economy. To give a bit of context, the international education generates over $50 billion annually and supports thousands of jobs and vital research in Australia. Luke Sheehy is Chief Executive of Universities Australia and he’s on the line with us right now. Luke, good morning. 

LUKE SHEEHY: Good morning. 

RON WILSON: Well, you are describing this as a race to the bottom. The current situation, is it all about politics or is there a real danger here to the tertiary education sector? 

LUKE SHEEHY: We’ve been saying for the last 12 months at least, that both sides of politics are engaged in a war on this important sector that as you’ve rightly pointed out delivers more than $50 billion to the Australian economy, supports 250,000 jobs and importantly supports the universities to do the job they need to do for Australia and Australians. We are not-for-profit organisations. Every dollar that we get from international student fees goes into delivering a better outcome and a world-class education not just for international students but for Australians and importantly helps us deliver the research and development we need to drive Australia’s future like a transition to net zero, a future made in Australia and the new ideas that our economy needs. So, this is an attack on this sector and that both sides of the politics are using it as a phony way to make up for the fact that they hadn’t built enough houses in Australia and they’re blaming international students who only make up six per cent of the Australian private rental market. 

RON WILSON: Another angle that people are sort of overlooking is that these international students are also vital to Australia’s workforce. I was talking to a CPA accountant yesterday who says their entire sector is under pressure if they can’t get these students who are very much part of their workforce. 

LUKE SHEEHY: You’re absolutely right Ron. Australia has a skilled worker shortage in a number of industries. We need 130,000 more nurses over the next decade. We are already 4,000 teachers short of what we need this year alone. We cannot get enough engineers in this country. And this is happening right across different professions and skills. Attracting international students to come and study here and then participate in our workforce is being part of the excellent formula that we’ve had for this world-class sector for many, many decades. Taking a sledgehammer to it and saying to the outside world, we are closed for business is economically reckless. There are more than 30 million students in the world right now that are looking for a world-class education. We know that the US is now looking like an unattractive proposition for them and their neighbors Canada put caps on international students in the last year and they have decimated their international student sector. So, Australia doesn’t want to catch the Canadian disease. We want to continue to say to the outside world, we are welcoming and we’re open to international students because you can come here, study here, and if you want to stay here, you can contribute to our economy as a skilled worker. 

RON WILSON: We also get a lot of international students from Asia and from the subcontinent, and again, I’m told by experts who’ve been on this program that it actually increases our reach into Asia and those other regions and makes our relationship with them stronger because we have that association, makes our relationship with them even better. So even on an international scale, this is really important. 

LUKE SHEEHY: Well, that’s right. One of the things that Australia can do and has done through international education is make friends, particularly in our region. In an uncertain world, which we’re seeing through the geopolitical changes, particularly since the election of Donald Trump and difficulties we’ve had closer to home with the competition with China and others is Australia should make better friends around the world, particularly in our region. International students come here and have a lifelong affection for Australia and Australians and by saying with caps and the sledgehammer approach to student visa processing, which we’ve seen from Labor is saying, we are no longer as welcoming as we used to be, and that’s really, really concerning about our future relationship with our neighbors and the outside world. This is a great bridge between Australia and the outside world. Let’s keep it there. Let’s not tear it down. 

RON WILSON: I think there is confusion out there between immigration and international students. They’re quite different things. International students come in, they’re after a particular kind of accommodation in a particular and very small part of our major cities, whereas immigration is much widespread and much more damaging to the housing crisis quite clearly. 

LUKE SHEEHY: Well, as I’ve said, only six per cent of the private rental market is taken up by international students and we’ve been told that they are not the major contributors to the housing crisis in this country. We have a construction problem, so because we have a construction problem, we’ve got fewer houses. We can’t be destroying this really fantastic sector as a phony way to make up for the lack of construction of houses. 

RON WILSON: Absolutely. 

LUKE SHEEHY: I think it’s important to remember that more than 80 per cent of international students who come here go home after they’ve completed their studies. While we attract some of the best and brightest to stay here and continue to work and contribute to the Australian economy, so many of the students that come here actually go home. We need to get the facts right so people understand what this sector does – $52 billion to the Australian economy, supporting our universities to deliver world-class education and research to Australians and international students and as well, when students want to stay, contributing to our economy over the long term. 

RON WILSON: Luke, every single bit of information I can get supports your argument, there’s no question of that. Now, you’ve called for a meeting with the Federal Opposition leader to explain the importance of international education. What message would you like to convey to both political parties and what sort of response are you getting from them? 

LUKE SHEEHY: We have been saying for a very long time that we want this sector to be supported, and we need it to do its job to support Australia’s future. Because of billions of dollars of underfunding from the Federal Government over decades, we rely on international student revenues to prop up what we do for Australia. So, my message to both sides of politics is if you don’t want us to have as many international students, what are you going to do to support the important work? We need better funding, and we need a fair dinkum deal. 

RON WILSON: Well, absolutely correct. I couldn’t agree with you more and more power to you. I mean, you’ve just become a political football in the lead up to this election and you’re an easy target. Your whole sector is an easy target for them. So, I totally agree with what you’re saying. Luke Sheehy, Chief Executive of Universities Australia, thank you so much for coming on and speaking this morning. 

LUKE SHEEHY: Thanks for all your support, Rob. 

ENDS