Today, at Sydney`s oldest university, there are more international graduate students than Australian graduate students. People are beginning to worry about the influence of foreign countries on students` politics.
Questions have been raised as to whether Australian universities rely too heavily on the income of internationally charged students and whether their primary role remains to educate the next generation of Australians.
(The University of Sydney), Australia`s most prestigious university of Sydney, currently employs more foreign graduate students than any native Australian student.
As of November 15, there were 15082 international graduate students at the University of Sydney and 13891 Australian students.
Nearly 1/3 of its undergraduate students are international paying students, with 11622 foreign students, compared with 25075 in Australia, according to the University of Sydney.
Sydney University has a total of 70412 students, 38% or 26704 of whom are international paying students.
In 2017, the school earned 752.2 million yuan from overseas paying students.
The issue became controversial after an organized group of Chinese students dominated university politics.
For the first time this year, SUPRA, a graduate school at the University of Sydney, elected an executive body made up entirely of foreign paying students, according to a report by student newspaper Honi Soit.
Recent elections at the University of Sydney`s Student Delegate Committee showed an increase in the number of delegates to China`s international student group Panda. Panda won 11 of the 33 seats in the parliament, up from eight a year earlier.
Panda has partnered with a moderate liberal group, Shake Up, which includes Gabi Stricker-Phelps, the daughter of recently elected Wentworth MP Kerryn Phelps, in the election.
The two groups control 15 of the 33 seats in parliament, while the other Chinese student group, Advance, controls three more seats.
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`I don`t think it`s fair for people to say, `Hey, look, because there are a lot of Chinese students, they must be Chinese spies,` "he told Fairfax Media.
The University of Sydney declined to say how many Australian students won seats on the student committee in the election, citing privacy concerns.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, the University of Sydney said it was proud of international students` contribution to the school.
`We welcome any attempt to ensure that the University`s representation is as diverse as our student population and encourages more students to participate,`a University of Sydney spokesman said in an e-mail statement.
The Council of Student Representatives of the University of Sydney is known as a training ground for future political leaders, where both Joe Hockey,Anthony Albanese and Tony Abbott have been trained.
Australian security agencies, including the intelligence agency ASIO, warn of foreign interference in Australian society, the threat.
In October last year, ASIO Director-General Duncan Lewis warned in the ASIO`s annual report that foreign forces were secretly seeking to influence the public, media organizations and government officials to advance their goals. He says espionage and foreign intervention are potential threat.
Activities that appear to be relatively harmless today could have a significant impact on the future. This hazard may not manifest until years or even decades after the activity takes place. "
As of August, Australia had 640342 international students enrolled, up 11 percent over the same period, according to Australia`s government.
China`s citizen accounts for 30% of the country`s total population, just over one hundred and eighty eight thousand nine hundred and ninety nine people.
Most foreign students-more than three hundred and eighty thousand-are in higher education.
