Impacts of COVID-19 on Australian Higher Education Export-A Discussion

Ranajit Kumar Bairagi

doi:10.7176/jesd/11-18-03

Abstract

Based on the desktop method, this study reviews and discusses the predicted impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on Australian higher education export which is the largest service-based export sector and the fourth largest export sector in terms of value addition. The review reports that the COVID pandemic may impact the number of international students to decline by 50% in 2020-2021 academic year, hitting most the Go8 research universities and least the non-university accredited colleges and institutions. The discussion explores few optimistic policy options supporting the recovery and sustainable growth for the sector. Keywords: Coronavirus, Australian higher education, export, impact, policy. DOI: 10.7176/JESD/11-18-03 Publication date: September 30 th 2020

Highlights

The novel COVID-19 standing for COrona VIrus Disease outbroken ever first in December 2019 in Wuhan, a provincial capital city of China, is one of the number of viruses which cause costly externalities to society through fatal threat to human health and death
The forecast adverse hit from international enrollments to Go8 universities is reinforced by the data of enrolment and country of residence of international students which shows that 57% of total international students in 2019 came from five countries ranked as China (28%), India (15%), Nepal (7%), Brazil (4%) and Vietnam (3%) (DESE, 2019)
Discussion on Policy Options 3.1 Surge of Demand from Domestic Students The higher education sector can offset little of the revenue loss from international students through potential surge in domestic students

Summary

Introduction

The novel COVID-19 standing for COrona VIrus Disease outbroken ever first in December 2019 in Wuhan, a provincial capital city of China, is one of the number of viruses which cause costly externalities to society through fatal threat to human health and death. Macroeconomic activities and evolving and spreading of viruses are mutually influenced because activities during booms (Adda, 2016) require and lead more traveling and interpersonal contacts whereas recessions (Ruhm, 2005; Evans and Moore, 2012) adversely change health behavior. This connotation is aligned with the prediction of Adda (2016) that the trades of livestock across countries as well as closer contact of mankind and wild animals in Asia and Africa may trigger the evolution and transmission of new viruses. The continuation of each additional month of crisis may cost 2.5%-3% of global GDP with more adverse effect on countries reliant more on foreign trade and service export (hospitality, tourism and education) (Fernandes, 2020)

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion