Indian students studying in Australia will soon overtake Chinese students as the dominant force for international students in Australian universities, according to a new report from L.E.K. Consulting.
According to SBS, the number of Indian students choosing to study abroad continues to grow, and (Global Education Practice), the global education team of Ai Yikai, believes that over the next 10 years, more and more Indian students will choose to study in Australia. And then catch up with Chinese students who now account for as much as 40% of all Australia`s international students.
China`s demand for higher education in Australia will fall from 15 percent to 5 percent over the next 10 years, according to the report. On the other hand, the demand from Indian students will increase. More than four hundred thousand Indian students want to study abroad, making India the world`s second-largest source of foreign students.
The number of Indian students studying in Australia has doubled over the past three years, from 26,000 in 2014 to 54,000 in 2017.
The adjustment of visa policy will not hinder the overall situation
Australia`s government has hinted that certain policies will be tightened, which may affect the enrolment rate of Indian students at Australian universities. But Shalma (Anip Sharma), an analyst and co-author of the Education Trends report, said Australia might tighten some of its policies, but similar visa changes would be made in countries such as the United States.
He said that Australia will continue to enjoy the growth of the international student market as long as Australia`s visa system is consistent with other countries or is relatively attractive. Australia`s second-class universities, however, may need to introduce more innovative programs to attract Indian students.
China`s domestic Education Market is maturing
As for the reasons why the number of Chinese students in Australia will decline, Sharma noted that changes in China`s population, the maturity of the country`s education market and China`s economy as a whole will affect China`s demand for overseas education and the trend of studying abroad in Australia.
China has been investing in improving the quality and global rankings of its universities, attracting nearly five hundred thousand international students a year, up 10 percent a year, he said. More and more famous overseas schools are opening branches in China, as well as the increasing number of Chinese and foreign school-running projects, which are contributing to the decline in the demand of Chinese students to study abroad. At the same time, Indian students` demand for higher education has risen 15-20% a year, about three times that of Chinese students.
The latest announcement from Australia`s government may have prompted international students to choose remote areas of Australia, with lower local living costs, which could help attract more Indian students to universities in remote areas, Mr. Sharma said.
