By DIRK MULDER

In January, the Chinese government shifted its policy on recognising on-line learning as it moved to a new national covid policy setting (CMM January 30).

This signalled that students studying on-line in China enrolled in degrees in other countries needed to return.

The results of the policy move are in, with the Education Visa Consultative Committee discussing the issue late last week.

Word is that while 63 000 Chinese students remained offshore at the end of January , last month it was down 21 000.

42 000 Chinese students returned to Australia shores in the month!

The government-stakeholder committee heard Australia is now back to having more Chinese onshore than Indians, who overtook China through the pandemic.

Dirk Mulder advises education and business clients on trends in international education. He writes regularly for CMM