Mark Scott says international students are “a down payment on the future”

University of Sydney vice-chancellor Mark Scott reaffirmed that all international students are welcome at his university during a meeting of student unions on Wednesday. The meeting, organised by the Sydney University Postgraduate Representatives Association (SUPRA), initiated discussions about forming one student-led international student voice that would speak directly to government on policy matters. The event comes during the first year of restricted overseas student enrolments, non-refundable and expensive visa application fees, and stricter genuine student and English proficiency tests. Those policies aim to improve the education quality and housing circumstances of both domestic and overseas students, the Albanese government has said. Discussions about how to improve education quality for students at a classroom level have been left to universities, although the Coalition education spokeswoman made it clear her government would be strict on making unis improve domestic student experiences. Professor Scott said international students have made vital contributions to the quality of Australian students' education and to the Australian economy. "Let me make it quite clear on behalf of the University of Sydney, and I think on behalf of Australian vice-chancellors, international students are warmly welcome here," he said. "International students are a vital part of our learning community because we are a vibrant international university at the heart of a vibrant international city. "Our students here are citizens of the planet, and we are all enriched by being able to sit, study and work alongside citizens from all around the planet to join us in our classrooms. Professor Scott speaks at the SUPRA event on Wednesday. Picture: Supplied "Australian students understand the world better through the life experience of those that they are studying with, it is a vital part of their broadening experience, and we see the manifestation of that through the record numbers of our students who now want to go and study overseas." Sydney uni has been at the centre of criticism about universities "over enrolling" international students at the expense of domestic students' learning experience. Whether the uni has provided enough housing for its overseas students has also come into question. It was the only university in NSW to report a surplus in 2023, at $353m, following a $302m surplus in 2022 and an astonishing $1.05bn surplus in 2021; in large part due to revenue from overseas student fees. International students made up half of the uni's student base in 2023. Professor Scott is also one of Australia's highest paid vice-chancellors, taking home a $1.17 million salary in 2023. Despite these figures, Professor Scott said Australian universities had, and still have, every right to take advantage of economic benefit for the good of the country. "There's extraordinary economic benefit that has come to bear to the broader economy, but also the operations of the university by the contributions made by international students," he said. "There is no doubt that none of the Australian university research powerhouses would have been able to be as ambitious as they have been about research and attacking the great global challenges if it hadn't been for the presence of international students on campus." Bilateral overseas study could also ensure positive relations overseas for Australia when international students become leaders, he added. "What will they be doing in 10, 20, 30 years time? They'll be CEOs. They'll have started their own unicorns, big businesses, they'll be influential in government, running major government-run entities, and all of them will be friends of Australia," he said. "They'll want to work with Australia, they'll want to come back to Australia. That is priceless, and is built over generations of friendship and connection and working side-by-side. "The down payment on the future and the soft power, public diplomacy benefit of friendship particularly across the region, is always underestimated in my view." International student voices struggle to become loud enough in Australia, the professor said, because they are “wrestling with the grim political reality that says international students don’t vote … because they don’t vote they could have difficulty having their voice heard." Forming one international student voice Professor Scott's opening address was followed by discussion about how to reinvigorate one single international student voice after the decline of Council of International Students Australia (CISA) during the Covid-19 pandemic. Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations international student officer Weihong Liang said the body should be student-run, independent from government. International Education Association (IEAA) of Australia chief executive Phil Honeywood said the peak body would talk directly to government on issues concerning overseas students, which would legitimise and boost social license for overseas students in Australia. Phil Honeywood (right) speaks to attendees after his keynote. Picture: Supplied His keynote address at the event included information about an IEAA social media campaign in 2023 that sought to bolster everyday support for international education. The campaign was in response to incidents of racism towards overseas, especially Chinese, students following the pandemic. One of its taglines was "international students help Australia thrive." "We're happy for international students to do aged care, we're happy for international students to pick fruit. But we don't want them to have barista jobs in cafes, because they're the trendy jobs that our children should have," he added, explaining the attitude he's seen many locals have towards overseas students. Sydney University social and political policy researcher Gaby Ramia suggested creating a government department specifically to support overseas students, similar to how the NDIS supports those living with a disability. "What needs to happen, from my point of view, is universities need to be part of something that starts with government," he said. "We've got a major industry here: fourth top economic export, people are contributing to one of the most productive economic sectors in the nation. "Whenever we've got a big marketplace, we need better regulation. One of the things I've proposed is the creation of an agency which would act as a gateway for representation across the board ... [for] the diversity of interests that come to play upon on international students and international education in Australia." Read more: