The 'golden goose' of international student enrollments looks unlikely to fly back and save Australian universities revenue in the short term.

However, chief academic officer at Studiosity and former Provost Macquarie University Professor Judyth Sachs says domestic students enrolments look strong for next year, based on universities she has spoken to. The same applies to postgraduate domestic enrollments. 

But while this is a promising development in some ways - and adheres to the notion that young people caught in recessions will typically bunker down in education and training - Sachs believes the caps on domestic university students must be lifted in order for more revenue to be generated for the sector.

The professor also believes that, after the disruptive experience of 2020, domestic school leavers will be expecting a lot from their respective institutions. Sachs also predicts that mental health issues - stemming from traumatic events in 2020 such as the summer bushfires and the current pandemic - means such students will have "social, academic and personal" needs for which universities must be prepared to cater. She also adds that the invisibility of packed lecturers may be a challenge for such students as they begin to "re-calibrate" their interpersonal skills to thrive on campus.

But it's certainly not all doom and  gloom.

The professor believes the 2020 experience has inculcated next year's students with several skills and qualities that will auger well for them as they enter their first year of university. These include resilience, agility and online learning skills and knowledge.

The 'golden goose' of international student enrollments looks unlikely to fly back and save Australian universities revenue in the short term. However, chief academic officer at Studiosity and former Provost Macquarie University Professor Judyth Sachs says domestic students enrolments look strong for next year, based on universities she has spoken to. The same applies to postgraduate domestic enrollments. But while this is a promising development in some ways - and adheres to the notion that young people caught in recessions will typically bunker down in education and training - Sachs believes the caps on domestic university students must be lifted in order for more revenue to be generated for the sector. The professor also believes that, after the disruptive experience of 2020, domestic school leavers will be expecting a lot from their respective institutions. Sachs also predicts that mental health issues - stemming from traumatic events in 2020 such as the summer bushfires and the current pandemic - means such students will have "social, academic and personal" needs for which universities must be prepared to cater. She also adds that the invisibility of packed lecturers may be a challenge for such students as they begin to "re-calibrate" their interpersonal skills to thrive on campus. But it's certainly not all doom and gloom. The professor believes the 2020 experience has inculcated next year's students with several skills and qualities that will auger well for them as they enter their first year of university. These include resilience, agility and online learning skills and knowledge.

Campus Review

The 'golden goose' of international student enrol…

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