Geopolitical uncertainty will disrupt international education more lastingly than the current pandemic-induced border closures, a webinar has heard.

Monash University vice-chancellor Margaret Gardner told a Committee for?Economic Development of Australia higher education forum that the ¡°turning inward¡± of many countries was ¡°very threatening¡± to open economies?such as Australia, where policy settings around foreign relations and trade had long been in ¡°harmony¡±.

¡°We are in a very challenging period for international settings,¡± Professor Gardner told the forum. ¡°We cannot pretend that the thing that is essential to the quality of what we do ¨C the free flow of knowledge and people across borders ¨C is not being challenged.

¡°We have to remake our understanding of how essential that free flow is.¡±

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Professor Gardner said Monash had begun ¡°rethinking¡± its approach to its offshore campuses in China, India and Malaysia and its recently approved outpost in Indonesia. Traditionally, first-year arts students had been guaranteed an offshore experience in such locations, partly to help cultivate Australia¡¯s relationships with its neighbours.

She said the university now planned to start some of its international students in intensive studies in offshore campuses before bringing them to Australia. ¡°That is not just a response to the restricted borders now. It¡¯s rethinking what the model is going to be¡­when the geopolitical uncertainty starts to shift the balance [regarding] open flow across borders.¡±

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She said the issue demanded ¡°a really serious amount of thinking¡± by universities. ¡°The right settings are vital and they¡¯re not just keeping the old settings, because we¡¯re in a new place. We have to empower institutions to be part of that rethinking. Rather than rolling around in the surf, we¡¯d like to¡­ride the top of the wave out.¡±

Professor Gardner said the Australian university sector needed to start ¡°getting our house in order around domestic education funding, and particularly funding for discovery research¡± during the pandemic-enforced absence of international students.

¡°We need a system that has transparent research costs ¨C [something that] we haven¡¯t had to confront because we¡¯ve had this other growing revenue source,¡± she said.

Universities needed to ¡°reshape the message¡± to international students that Australia depended on them to fund research and courses for domestic students, she said.

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Education minister Dan Tehan told the forum that Australia¡¯s success in managing the pandemic would help expedite the resumption of international education flows. ¡°Everything I¡¯m hearing and seeing from international students [suggests] the demand is still there. They want to resume their studies here and we will see new growth,¡± he said.

Mr Tehan said the quality of Australian education had not diminished during the crisis. ¡°I would argue that it¡¯s improved. Our ability now to educate online is first class. Our ability to offer a range of different options to international students ¨C including short courses and micro-credentials that they will be able to stack ¨C enhances our education offering.¡±

john.ross@timeshighereducation.com