The City of Melbourne has doubled down on its commitment to deliver the world’s best student experience by backing a range of measures to attract and retain international students.
Free tickets to attractions and experiences, dedicated health support services and support for a week-long celebration at Fed Square were among the initiatives endorsed by Council at Tuesday’s meeting.
Last month, there were about 70,000 international students in Melbourne – a 53.5 per cent decrease on March 2019.
Lord Mayor Sally Capp said creating opportunities for students to discover and enjoy Melbourne will be key to welcoming them back in 2022 and beyond.
“We know international students make up a key part of Melbourne’s economic, social and cultural life, and re-establishing the sector is critical for our city’s vibrant future,” the Lord Mayor said.
“Prior to the pandemic, international students contributed $13.7 billion a year to Victoria’s economy and supported nearly 80,000 jobs.
“We want to do everything we can to attract international students back to Melbourne, and that starts with offering unforgettable experiences in our great city.
“Our international students are brand ambassadors for Melbourne. When they return home, they’ll tell their family and friends about their time in Melbourne, and we want to make sure it’s overwhelmingly positive.”
At Tuesday’s Council meeting, councillors endorsed a range of measures aimed at enhancing the city’s student experience, including:
- Providing welcome activities and free tickets to key attractions and events, as part of the new ‘Experience Melbourne’ program.
- Establishing mentoring and internship programs, and employment seminars.
- Running wellness programs to address mental health, legal and food security issues.
- Promoting existing support services, including ‘The Couch’ International Student Centre.
- Working collaboratively with Study Melbourne, educational institutions and student groups to support the wellbeing of international students.
- Supporting an inaugural Melbourne International Student Week at Fed Square in 2022.
- Lobbying the State Government for additional funding to expand activities and support programs.
Education and Innovation portfolio lead Councillor Davydd Griffiths said the new strategy aims to address the challenges of COVID-19 and protect Melbourne’s reputation as a global education hub.
“Melbourne is a university city, which offers a fantastic student experience. Earlier this year, it was recognised as Australia’s best student city, and the sixth best in the world,” Cr Griffiths said.
“COVID-19 has had a major impact on our international education sector, but we’re bouncing back and working to make Melbourne the number one city in the world for student experience.
“In partnership with the Victorian Government, we’ll deliver a range of innovative programs to ensure our international students excel in their academic pursuits, find employment and have an excellent experience in Melbourne.”
