留學生減少導致收入下降 澳洲高校大規模裁員 | 澳洲大學 | 移民政策 | 澳大利亞 | 大紀元

Key Findings

Due to a decrease in international students and shifts in immigration policies, approximately one-fourth of Australian universities are implementing layoffs to manage operational costs. At least 2200 jobs have been cut across nine universities, with a total budget reduction of around AU$650 million.

Reasons for Layoffs

• Decreased domestic student enrollment, attributed to a strong job market and rising living costs.
• Reduced international student visa applications due to government immigration policy changes. Applications fell significantly from 380,000 to 261,600 in the year to February.

Universities Affected

Multiple universities have announced significant job cuts, including:

• Western Sydney University (300-400 jobs)
• University of Technology Sydney (350 jobs)
• University of Wollongong (up to 270 jobs)
• Australian National University (around 650 jobs, later scaled back due to union action)
• Several others, with varying numbers of job cuts.

Perspectives and Future Outlook

While some argue that the job cuts are excessive and unnecessary, given relatively stable overall student numbers, others point to external factors beyond universities' control, such as fluctuating government policies around international student quotas.

The Australian government's attempts to control international student numbers through quotas or slowed visa processing were met with opposition from various political parties. Opposition parties propose further reductions in international student intake, coupled with increased visa application fees for international students. The situation highlights the vulnerability of the higher education sector to government policy decisions on immigration and student intake.