By Gordon Taylor
Updated Thu Mar 17, 2011 4:07pm AEDT
The ANU and University of Canberra have both recorded an increase in overseas student numbers, despite a national trend down. (ABC News: Damien Larkins)
Canberra’s main universities have gone against a national trend and attracted increased numbers of international students.
Figures from the Immigration Department show that student visa applications from outside Australia fell 32 per cent in the last six months of last year compared with the same period in 2009.
But the Australian National University has seen a nine per cent increase in international students this year, whilst the University of Canberra has had a 33 per cent increase.
ANU Vice Chancellor Professor Ian Young says there are still obstacles for overseas students who want to study in Australia
“Obviously the University would encourage the government to free up the visa regulations so that it makes the processing process as streamlined and easy as possible for well qualified bone fide international students.”
Professor Young believes that in the case of ANU it is the quality of the education that is attracting overseas students.
“In addition to that, I think that Canberra has been fortunate that it hasn’t been directly associated with a number of the issues around student safety, so its clear that international students see Canberra as a safe supporting environment to undertake their further education.”
Updated Thu Mar 17, 2011 4:07pm AEDT
The ANU and University of Canberra have both recorded an increase in overseas student numbers, despite a national trend down. (ABC News: Damien Larkins)
Canberra’s main universities have gone against a national trend and attracted increased numbers of international students.
Figures from the Immigration Department show that student visa applications from outside Australia fell 32 per cent in the last six months of last year compared with the same period in 2009.
But the Australian National University has seen a nine per cent increase in international students this year, whilst the University of Canberra has had a 33 per cent increase.
ANU Vice Chancellor Professor Ian Young says there are still obstacles for overseas students who want to study in Australia
“Obviously the University would encourage the government to free up the visa regulations so that it makes the processing process as streamlined and easy as possible for well qualified bone fide international students.”
Professor Young believes that in the case of ANU it is the quality of the education that is attracting overseas students.
“In addition to that, I think that Canberra has been fortunate that it hasn’t been directly associated with a number of the issues around student safety, so its clear that international students see Canberra as a safe supporting environment to undertake their further education.”
