Australian business schools count on the return of international students

Australian business schools count on the return of international students

Australia’s higher education system has been one of the country’s worst hit sectors during the pandemic, as the stifling effects of border closures on international student numbers cut its revenue in half.

Covid-19, and the government’s response of strict border controls — part of its “Fortress Australia” policy — choked off the flow of overseas students. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, revenue from that vital resource for universities shrank to A$20.2bn ($13.8bn) in the year to June. That compared with A$38.7bn for the same period in 2019, before the pandemic hit.

Universities and their business schools were quick to switch courses online and devise ways to maintain engagement with students who were locked down and with no way of returning to their home countries. Nonetheless, enrolment from overseas slumped.

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