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Indian students eagerly await return to Australia

University enrolments from India have drastically reduced, with many awaiting their turn to come to Australia and study in-person, in what is one of the most popular destinations for international education, worldwide.  

Australian borders have remained closed since the start of the pandemic. Photo: Pexels

"It’s disappointing as I was really looking forward to this new chapter of my life"

Speaking to The PIE, Tanisha Dhariwal, a prospective Law student from India, said that she was looking to enrol in an Australian university in January this year, but has chosen to postpone her enrolment until borders open.

“I would like to see my self settling down in Australia in the long run, and therefore I have decided not to go to other countries, such as Canada or the UK, for my studies,” she said.

“Some timelines from the Australian government would be really helpful for me to be able to plan my enrolment and for others in my shoes.”

While many prospective students from India have postponed their enrolments, there is a large number who have commenced their studies online in the hopes of being able to come to Australia before graduating.

Contemporary Art student Damini Esther Mehra is enrolled in the University of South Australia in Adelaide. She has been studying online since February this year and has been hoping to come to Australia to study in-person.

“It has been really hard to engage with teachers and other students in my course”

Speaking to The PIE, Damini mentioned her concerns with the current arrangement for her studies.

“Although I have been trying my best to make the most of the online study, due to lack of an in-person interaction, it has been really hard to engage with teachers and other students in my course.”

A recent survey found that student satisfaction around learner engagement at Australian universities has significantly fallen during the pandemic.

“It’s disappointing as I was really looking forward to this new chapter of my life,” Damini said, adding that a phased repatriation of vaccinated students would be really helpful.

In recent interviews, the High Commissioner of India to Australia, H.E. Manpreet Vohra, has stated his optimism on the return of Indian students to Australian universities, once border restrictions into Australia are eased. The High Commissioner has also been in talks with Australian universities on this subject, in efforts to facilitate the return of students from India.

According to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade report on Australia’s India Economic Strategy to 2035, the higher education sector is the most significant point of engagement between the two countries, who are increasingly becoming important partners.

Indian students, the flag bearers of this blossoming bilateral relationship, are awaiting their turn to come and study in Australia and enrich its universities, economy, and society. Their long wait might have to continue though, till 80% of Australia gets vaccinated.

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14 Responses to Indian students eagerly await return to Australia

  1. I am an Bangladeshi student studying in an Australian institute online. Eagerly waiting for the borders to open

  2. Australian universities should take responsibility for quarantining their international students for 14 days in their campus by charging them, so that the students can go to Australia to study instead of making them study online in their own countries.

  3. I am an Indian student and I have differed my course for one semester and now I am undergoing online mode . It’s been really challenging to cope with the studies and eargly waiting to continue face to face . I have experience of this online system for 5 weeks and it’s not better way to study like this way.

  4. I graduated from an Australian university two months before the pandemic started. I still live in Australia. Let me just say that anybody who chooses Australia at this point of time to study is the most foolish person in the world. The job scenario along with the lockdowns is really bad unless you are a permanent resident atleast

  5. I am Indian student I don’t know why Australian government doesn’t open borders as its very difficult to study online as I tried once for 1st semester after that I take leave from my course as I got failed in one subject. All student of India ready for 14 days quarantine, we all are fully vaccinated then whats the problem. I am so stressed as i already wasted my almost 2 years.

  6. Closed border not a solution.it’s hurt student future along with Australian economic.COVID never cured and we have to fight.

  7. Why Government doesnt open borders as all the indian students are fully vaccinated so wat is the problem?? I think there is no hope for further students in india they didnt apply for australia..

  8. The borders are closed to protect the Australians, irrespective of their visa status which every country is obliged to do so.stop blaming the government and appreciate what Australia has done better in comparison to rest of the world.

  9. Australia only looks at international students as a source of income, everything else is secondary. The job situation is very bad. You will be spending a lot of money, living in substandard conditions at exorbitant cost in a shared room and doing menial jobs under atrocious conditions on a pittance like bonded labour just to survive. Racism both overt and covert is rampant. You would be much better off studying in India. Australia is overrated, Indian students shouldn’t waste their time, money, energy and precious years of youth dreaming of a good life in Australia. Just stay away from Australia.

  10. Closed borders are a solution…until we have most of the population vaccinated. That should happen later this year. Feb 2022 still seems likely.

    Sydney and Melbourne have suffered, but most of the country is pretty good. Wages are higher, employment is higher, house prices are higher, the share market is higher, even tourism seems fully booked….and very few dead Australians.

    The last one is the reason for the closed borders. They will open in 2022, but we do not want the problems like the UK and US have experienced (and are experiencing).

  11. I’m a student that was expecting to begin my studies last February 2021 and I’m still at home, depressed and with increasing anxiety about the borders. I think the government needs to think more about how they’re playing with our lives the more they postpone our studies. Please find an alternative soon. We have to live with Covid for a while, every single country has accepted that, so please consider Australia.

  12. They guys are just using student as their source of income and just using their political mind for 2022. they don’t care about future of those students however students don’t pay so much amount of money to study online from there home country govt should think about this..

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