The Innovative Research Universities group warns that for international student numbers the worst is yet to come

The lobby’s budget submission warns that international student commencements were down 23 per cent at the end of last year and that is members face up to a 50 per cent decline for first semester this year. With border restrictions in-place here, international students will go where they can.

“The low risk of Covid-19 in Australia may appear a factor to favour Australia, but students need to be able to come here to gain from that low risk of disease. For many students, there is no greater risk in the US or UK than in their home country,” IRU argues.

“The Commonwealth Government needs to work with the higher education sector and the state governments to make available safe and workable quarantine solutions for international student entry into Australia,” the lobby states.

Plus, more money for research is needed

The IRU acknowledges the extra $1bn kicked into research last year, calling it, “the first step towards a revamped research funding system.”  But what is needed now is a research resource, like the Medical Research Future Fund, “to sustain Australia’s leading position in world research output post-Covid-19.”

IRU does not suggest a figure for any fund – but the MRFF’s $20bn is a nice, if unlikely, round number.