Australia closed its international border for about eight months to contain the coronavirus pandemic, and finally welcomed the first batch of international students from March on Monday (30th).
According to AFP, 63 international students from Charles Darwin University flew to Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory, on a charter flight that day, which is Australia’s pilot plan to restart the higher education industry. These include freshmen and enrolled students, who will study for a series of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in law, nursing and engineering.
The students from mainland China and Hong Kong, as well as Japan, Vietnam and Indonesia, transit to Australia in Singapore and must be quarantined at the Australian government quarantine facilities for 14 days after entering the country.
Charles Darwin University issued a statement saying, “This is an important first step towards the recovery of Australia’s international education industry.”
The education industry is listed as Australia’s fourth largest export, behind the three major exports of iron ore, coal and natural gas. Last year, more than half a million international students went to Australia to study, generating 37 billion Australian dollars in revenue for the Australian economy.
