More to be done to counter violence and intimidation

The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) deplores the recent violent attacks against members of the international student community at the Ourimbah campus at the University of Newcastle.

CAPA President Nigel Palmer said "Intimidation and attacks like this on international students are just not acceptable- no way. International students here in Australia make a huge contribution, to our universities and to our communities. And this is the thanks they get? Attacks like this are utterly deplorable.

Violence and intimidation towards anyone in our universities is a major concern, but this is especially worrying given Australia's intensive marketing approach to woo international students. A major part of this is to present university campuses in Australia as being tolerant, friendly and welcoming places for people of all cultures. At the very least these students are entitled to feel safe."

Encouraging international students to study in Australia is a focus of the Australian government. Not only does the overseas student sector provide just over 15% of total university income but provides well over $2.1 billion in revenue . Beyond this, international students also bring a wealth of experience, cultural exchange, and many lasting friendships both locally and internationally.

"There are also wider aspects to problems like this. We welcome Newcastle Uni's positive response in looking to develop a community engagement program. Many other universities think "community engagement" means just talking to local businesses and local government. How many of them even give a thought to helping to build more meaningful engagement between visiting students and their local communities, or even their own university community? Welcoming international students means more than providing basic accommodation and campus security.

We also know that many instances of violence and intimidation toward international students go unreported - every day. We would encourage all international students to come forward to their universities and their student organisations so that their stories can be heard. Also, more needs to be done to raise people's awareness about the real contribution, and the real value of international students - as there's obviously still some pretty backwards thinking out there." CAPA President Nigel Palmer said.