A recent report by the Mitchell Institute at Victoria University titled Australian Investment in Education: Higher Education shows that 40% of Australia’s annual university student revenue is derived from international students. This demographic provides almost A$9bn (US$5.9bn) to universities and injects another A$10bn (US$6.5bn) into the broader economy. The report also notes that most universities had limited surpluses to steer them through the covid-19 contraction.
Figure 1: University domestic and international student revenue (actual and forecast)
In this Q&A the vice-chancellor of Monash University, Professor Margaret Gardner, outlines the primary challenges facing universities and international students, the innovation and resilience that shone through in responding to the crisis and the opportunities that may arise for Australia’s education sector in the longer term.
