In mid-May the Australian Government announced that it would be undertaking a study into antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism and the experience of First Nations people in the university sector. The Koala News looked at how this new study could be informed by the international education perspective, with views from two sector experts and results from recent studies.
Respect at uni study
The study will examine the prevalence and impact of racism in universities and develop recommendations to ensure a safe environment for students and staff. It is a result of recommendation 33 of the Australian Universities Accord, Tertiary Education Racism Study.
Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman will lead the study, with support from the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC). A reference group will be established and there will be consultation with students, stakeholder groups and education providers. An interim report is to be delivered by 31 December 2024 and a final report by 30 June 2025.
An international education perspective – thoughts from our experts
Do you have thoughts on how common experiences of racism in the international student community?
Professor Catherine Gomes: This is a complex question. It depends on what is the perception and understanding of racism. For instance, in an interview with an international student, they interpreted not being asked to go for coffee after a class as perceived racism by their domestic student classmates. There will also be forms of ‘racism’ within international student communities depending on the politics of the places people come from. For instance, the tension between Hong Kong and Chinese international students which we saw play out in 2019.
Melanie Duncan: International students have always been vulnerable to racist behaviours, often in response to geopolitical situations in their home countries over which they have no control. They most often choose to take no action as they consider themselves unempowered to do so as temporary residents of Australia and are not aware that they are protected from these racist behaviours under our laws.
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the COVID-19 Racism Incident Report Survey was launched by the Asian Australian Alliance (AAA) in collaboration with Osmond Chiu – Research Fellow at the Per Capita think tank. People who had Chinese origins/East Asian origins and Australians of Asian backgrounds experienced heightened racism which presented as direct racial slurs/name calling (35.7%); online harassment (25.7%); making indirect racial ‘jokes’ about their nationality (13.1%) as well as verbal threats; being spat/sneezed/coughed on; physical intimidation/harassment; being shunning and workplace discrimination.
Similarly, the Council of International Students Australia (CISA) launched a National International Students Racism Survey. They found that racism in the forms of microaggression and subtle discrimination is commonplace for international students from diverse cultures. These experiences motivate students to take preventative actions such as social withdrawal and concealing our “differences”, self-limiting students from fully experiencing and embracing the opportunities in Australia. On the flip side, these self-preservation strategies can also contribute to further divide and segregation between domestic and international students on campuses.
How useful do you think this study will be in making an impact on the experience of international students?
Catherine: Any commitment to being respectful of difference is always welcome. I think though that there are nuances under the umbrella of being respectful. Racism is one of the most common, of course. However, there are others as well. Islamophobia for instance does not necessarily mean that all people of the Islamic faith are a monolithic group. There will be differences within Islamic communities based on where people come from, colourism, sexuality and other significant nuances.
Melanie: Any deliberate attention on the prevalence and impact of racism in our education providers is welcome. I hope that the study consults widely with tertiary students and uses international student-led focused reports and surveys on racism – that have already been conducted and reported on – to inform its work.
Catherine Gomes is a Professor in RMIT University’s School of Media and Communication, specialising in communication and culture. She is known internationally for her work on the wellbeing of international students, as well as in developing effective communication with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, among other things.
Melanie Duncan is Co-Founder & Principal, IEP Advisory, offering services to education providers who are CRICOS-registered or seeking CRICOS registration. She has extensive experience across the gamut of international education from admissions to the regulatory environment, and in the context of this topic she is expert in the delivery of wellbeing services for international students.
An international education perspective – more about what the studies say
In a study conducted by the Migrant Worker Justice Initiative, As if we weren’t human: The abandonment of temporary migrants in Australia during COVID-19, 25 per cent of international students responded that they had experienced racism in the form of verbal abuse. The study also found that of the international students and graduates who experienced racism, a substantially greater proportion were less likely to recommend Australia following their experience during COVID-19.
A lack of understanding of what constitutes racism, as mentioned by Catherine, is supported by a 2019 report by the City of Ryde on International students’ experience of racism, which goes on to recommend community education on the definition of racism and report mechanisms. The report also found that two-thirds of the participants agreed that there is racial prejudice in Australia.
Catherine and Melanie both support any study that leads to an improvement in the international student experience and note that it is essential to involve international students in the new study. However, getting international student involvement may pose a challenge, as the CISA report mentioned above highlights a level of mistrust of authority, including a mistrust in being protected from racism. This is something that those leading the study should keep in mind as they form the reference group and undertake the consultation process.
Links to the articles quoted in this piece and referenced by Melanie above are available here:
COVID-19 Racism Incident Report Survey Comprehensive Report
CISA International Students Racism Experience
International students’ experience of racism
As if we weren’t human: The abandonment of temporary migrants in Australia during COVID-19
