A new survey of more than 6,000 prospective international students suggests they want face-to-face learning, with 39 per cent of respondents likely to switch destinations if it means they could access it earlier.
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Only seven per cent of aspiring international students say they would continue with Australian courses if they re fully online, according to a new survey, with 43 per cent saying they would defer until they could study face-to-face.
Most international students have been unable to enter the country under Australia s COVID-19 border restrictions, with February data from the government showing international student enrolments are down 12 per cent at universities.
The new survey of more than 6,000 prospective students by recruitment agency IDP Connect suggests international students want face-to-face learning, with 39 per cent of respondents likely to switch destinations if it means they could access it earlier.
Charles Darwin University welcomes first international students since coronavirus shut borders
TueTuesday 15
updated
TueTuesday 15
Poyan Wong from Hong Kong will study a masters of IT at Charles Darwin University.
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Hong Kong resident and international student Poyan Wong knows how lucky she was to secure a spot on a special charter flight to Australia during the pandemic.
Key points:
They were part of a pilot program to bring international students to Australia
Charles Darwin University wants more international students to be able to travel to Australia next year
She had been working in Singapore but chose to go back home during the pandemic.
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Their arrival at Charles Darwin University on Tuesday, which was marked by a traditional smoking ceremony, could pave the way for more overseas students travelling to Australia to study.
Francois Brassard is from Canada but was living in Hong Kong before his arrival. He said the decision to travel thousands of kilometres for his education was bittersweet.
Their arrival at CDU was marked by a traditional smoking ceremony.
SBS News/ Aneeta Bhole
“At this point, I had to choose between either going back home for an extended period of time and then being stuck there for perhaps half a year or even a year, or studying,” he told SBS News.