Australian universities risk catastrophe due to over-reliance on Chinese students, expert warns

A downturn in the number of students from China could be "catastrophic" for some Australian universities and may force taxpayers to prop up the budgets of some of the nation's oldest sandstone institutions. Key points: In 2017, Australia's higher education sector generated $32 billion The University of Sydney tops the list of institutions dependent on fees from Chinese students — one fifth of its total revenue Universities reject criticism they are overexposed to the Chinese student market That is the warning from Salvatore Babones, an adjunct scholar at the Centre for Independent Studies, who likens the exposure of Australian universities to China's student market to the risks big banks faced during the global financial crisis. "Australian universities maintain very high admissions standards and strong academic rigour — and those high academic standards safeguard quality and attract international students." He alleges Australian universities "routinely compromise admissions standards to accommodate international students", with preparatory programs for students with lower English language skills functioning as a back-door entry for students who do not meet admissions standards. "Admission standards have been lowered in such a way that Australian universities make extra money by farming students out, often farming them out to private providers in order to let them get around the English language requirements that would ordinarily be in place for them to study for their chosen degrees," Associate Professor Babones's report said.