Australia Moves to Rebuild Image Among Indian Students

The recent spate of attacks against Indian students living in Australia has caused consternation among the large Indian student population in the country. Now, deans and vice-chancellors across the nation are in crisis management mode.

All are united in their condemnation of the attacks, of course, and are at great pains to point out Australia’s relatively safe and welcoming history for international students. They reiterate the strict safety measures are in place at all of the country’s major universities and business schools.

Racism, when and wherever it rears its ugly head, is inexcusable, yet it is particularly deplorable when one specific nationality is singled out for verbal or physical assaults. This indicates a level of ignorance from which, sadly, almost all countries suffer to some extent. Australia is no exception.

Popularity

Indians have been going to Australia for decades to study. It is relatively close geographically, it is Anglophone, well developed and with a high level of opportunities for postgraduate careers and affordable, high quality education. Indeed, Indians responding to the QS TopMBA.com Applicant Survey 2009 – the most exhaustive survey of its kind, surveying thousands of MBA candidates worldwide – shows that Australia comes joint third with Canada, behind only the US and UK, in terms of business school popularity for candidates considering studying overseas.

The reasons for these attacks will be long discussed, both within and without the Australian education sphere, but their severity prompted thousands of Indians to take to the streets of Melbourne in late June 2009 to protest about their complaints going unheeded, not just over recent weeks but for years. Alleged police insensitivity to the attacks further alienated the Indian population when the police allegedly used a heavy-handed approach during the Melbourne demonstration.

Reputation

There seems little doubt that these recent attacks have done some well-documented and perhaps long-term damage to Australia’s reputation among Indian students considering studying there. Professor John Glynn  of the University of Wollongong, Sydney, says: “We are of course concerned that such incidents will damage brand ‘Australia’.”

Australian educators have every right to be concerned. There are upwards of 90,000 Indian students in Australia already and, if QS topmba.com projections are accurate, this figure would in normal conditions continue to increase year on year. It is a highly lucrative industry for the country’s economy too, and the government is taking the situation seriously enough that the Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, commented on the problem and spoke to the Indian Prime Minister about it. “I speak on behalf of all Australians when say I say that we deplore and condemn these attacks," he said.

"I said to Prime Minister Singh that the more than 90,000 Indian students in Australia are welcome guests in our country.”

The situation is serious. One student, Resham Singh, was attacked in Melbourne where youths tore off his turban and tried to cut off his hair, while taunting him verbally. "They were saying, 'you Indians, we hate you, we will kill you,'" the 22-year-old hospitality student said. "How can we stay here? I can't feel safe here. I have never seen police here (at the train station)."

Safety

However, heads of educational establishments in Australia are going to great lengths to emphasize the high levels of safety for international students on their campuses. Professor Glyn Davis, of the University of Melbourne, says: “While Melbourne's reputation in this regard has, unfortunately, been tarnished by these recent events, it is my hope that our school will remain a welcoming and safe place for people of all nations.”

Professor Glynn  at the University of Wollongong concurs: “We will be doubling our efforts to assure all international students that they can expect a very positive experience with our School. Two of my colleagues will be at both rounds of the QS World MBA fairs to be held later this year in India to underline this commitment and to address any concerns personally.”

Nunzio Quacquarelli is managing director of QS and the QS World MBA Tour and is firm on the company’s zero tolerance approach to racism: “QS as a company places cultural sensitivity and tolerance as a core value, reflecting the attitudes of the education industry as a whole. Australian universities have a long history of being very welcoming to international students of all nationalities, and providing excellent support services. Incidents of racial discrimination will be condemned by those in positions of responsibility in the Australian university system.

In Australia itself, both sides of the debate are trying to play down the racist element of the attacks. In Sydney, Assistant Police Commissioner Dave Owens said: "I don't believe at this point in time it is racially motivated. I believe these were random acts which unfortunately have escalated.”

Some members of the Indian community concur: Dr Yadu Singh, a prominent member of Sydney's Indian community, said:  "I don't think really there is a war going on between two races or two communities. But Indian students are not starting the fight, they are not going out to commit crime, so who is doing it? That is what the police have to find out.''

At the highest levels, the suggestion of racism is being downplayed. Sujatha Singh, India's High Commissioner to Australia, said she didn't believe that Australia is a racist country.

"There have been remarks in the press to that effect - I don't think that Australia is a racist society,'' she said. However, she added that there were elements in Australia that held "racist attitudes'' and that Victoria Police had sometimes displayed a "lack of sensitivity'' towards Indian students who had been victims of crime.

Future

While this has inflamed some passions – there are those who believe that the attacks are fundamentally racially motivated – the result for potential students going to Australia remain the same. Whether Indian students find their belief in the Australian system deeply shaken remains to be seen, but educators and the media will be keeping a close eye on developments over the forthcoming months.

Nunzio Quacquarelli, from QS, an expert in the education world, believes that the problem will be dealt with in Australia. “My expectation is that the Australian authorities will act to stamp out racism on campuses and that the thousands of Indian students in Australia will continue to have a very positive educational experience. If the Australian authorities act decisively now, then it is unlikely there will be any long term damage to Indian student recruitment into Australian universities. However, if the situation does persist, universities in other countries will gladly welcome additional Indian students.”