Uni on lonely street for overseas students

The Age, February 11, 2008

ERIC PANG was 23 when he came to Australia from Malaysia as an international student. Even though he had travelled extensively, he found it tough.

"I was on my own, without any friends, and I was very lonely for the first semester," says Mr Pang, now president of the National Liaison Committee for International Students. "It's a big issue for most international students, especially the younger ones."

A new study of 200 overseas students at nine universities confirms this, with two-thirds feeling lonely and isolated, especially at the start of their stay.

Uni on lonely street for overseas students

ERIC PANG was 23 when he came to Australia from Malaysia as an international student. Even though he had travelled extensively, he found it tough.

"I was on my own, without any friends, and I was very lonely for the first semester," says Mr Pang, now president of the National Liaison Committee for International Students. "It's a big issue for most international students, especially the younger ones."

A new study of 200 overseas students at nine universities confirms this, with two-thirds feeling lonely and isolated, especially at the start of their stay.

One 28-year-old told the researchers from Monash and Melbourne universities: "I'd walk around and say: Aww . . . God, I feel so lonely . . . I want to go home." Another said: "Every single day, I'll call my dad and cry and cry on the phone."

Apart from the personal impact on students, the findings are important because education (worth $12.5 billion last year) has replaced tourism ($11 5 billion) as Australia's top services export.

Interestingly, 65% of students who felt lonely or isolated had problems making friends across cultures, compared with 36% of those who were not lonely. According to the report, "relations with locals might be the key to moving forward".

But this can be difficult, says Mr Pang. "Most Australian students are not interested in making friends. It might be cultural differences, and language - not being fluent in English - may also be a problem."

Many students did not know about the support services available. Mr Pang says that, generally, universities offer many programs, such as English-language classes, orientation and housing support.

"Some universities are very good at this, and some not so good. Students are in a new country and are not familiar with the laws and rules. We need an ombudsman for them and universities have to be more encouraging."

Simon Marginson, professor of higher education at Melbourne University, says Australia rates highly as an education destination among English-speaking countries.

"But it could be so much better. We're very good at 'meet-and-greet' and orientation, and at marketing our education. And we're very good at building quantity, but we're not so focused on quality like most export industries."

Professor Marginson says there needs to be more cross-cultural training for academics, teaching that accommodates different backgrounds, and a greater understanding that overseas students may need more help than some local ones.

The report recommends universities set up social clubs, "buddy systems" and more shared classes. They must also ensure that their student services are adequate and conduct "network audits" of the support available for international students.

-- MARGARET COOK