It is ironic that the two countries — India and China — with whom Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd wishes to build special relationship have begun to put a lot of pressure on him after the increase in violence against foreign students in his country.
The Age of Australia reports: “The future of the $15.5 billion overseas student industry is under threat after the Chinese Government went public with concerns about violence against its students in Australia.
“Battling to contain the damage arising from attacks on Indian students, university vice-chancellors fear Australia’s third-largest export industry may face sanctions from the Chinese and Indian governments.
“Chinese embassy counsellor Liu Jin yesterday said his Government was intervening to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals.
” ‘There are over 130,000 Chinese students in Australia,’ he said. ‘They have, on the whole, had a good study and living environment in Australia, but attacks on Chinese students also occurred in recent years’.
“While diplomatic negotiations continue over recent violence, Australians have opened their wallets and hearts to the family of stabbing victim Shravan Kumar, offering to help bring his parents to Australia.
“Matthew Patrick, an Australian living in Japan, said he was willing to pay for and arrange flights to enable Mr Kumar’s family to visit their son in hospital.” More here…
Meanwhile Australia’s universities have joined the leaders of the Australian Government in condemning the recent attacks on Indian students living in Australia.
Dr Glenn Withers, Chief Executive of Universities Australia, the peak body representing 38 of Australia’s universities, expressed his sincere regret at the reports of attacks on Indian students studying in Australia.
Dr Withers also said “injury to even one student is totally unacceptable, and a strong and constructive response to any attack, however motivated, is essential. We know through surveys of the many, many thousands of enrolled and graduating students that the overwhelming experience of international students is positive, and this should be the outcome for every student”
Universities Australia was joined by the Australian Technology Network of Universities (a group of five innovative universities) in condemning the attacks.
ATN Chair and President of the University of Technology Sydney, Professor Ross Milbourne, said “The ATN is committed to continuing to provide all of our international students with a positive experience both on our campuses and within our communities”.
The ATN joined Universities Australia in welcoming the Australian Government’s proposed roundtable with international students as a means of direct consultation on key issues such as accommodation, transport and safety.
Lead Vice-Chancellor on international issues for Universities Australia, Professor Daryl Le Grew from the University of Tasmania will also attend the meeting, and said today that “we condemn such incidents unequivocally and take them very, very seriously. Student welfare is of paramount concern to Australian universities”.
“Universities are determined to ensure that international students remain safe while in Australia, working closely with police, governments, councils, and student organisations to deal with these events if they arise, and to help ensure they do not occur and we are encouraged to see a swift and strong response by police, with offenders identified and charges laid,” Professor Le Grew said.
Swaraaj Chauhan describes his two-decade-long stint as a full-time journalist as eventful, purposeful, and full of joy and excitement. In 1993 he could foresee a different work culture appearing on the horizon, and decided to devote full time to teaching journalism (also, partly, with a desire to give back to the community from where he had enriched himself so much.)
Alongside, he worked for about a year in 1993 for the US State Department’s SPAN magazine, a nearly five-decade-old art and culture monthly magazine promoting US-India relations. It gave him an excellent opportunity to learn about things American, plus the pleasure of playing tennis in the lavish American embassy compound in the heart of New Delhi.
In !995 he joined WWF-India as a full-time media and environment education consultant and worked there for five years travelling a great deal, including to Husum in Germany as a part of the international team to formulate WWF’s Eco-tourism policy.
He taught journalism to honors students in a college affiliated to the University of Delhi, as also at the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication where he lectured on “Development Journalism” to mid-career journalists/Information officers from the SAARC, African, East European and Latin American countries, for eight years.
In 2004 the BBC World Service Trust (BBC WST) selected him as a Trainer/Mentor for India under a European Union project. In 2008/09 He completed another European Union-funded project for the BBC WST related to Disaster Management and media coverage in two eastern States in India — West Bengal and Orissa.
Last year, he spent a couple of months in Australia and enjoyed trekking, and also taught for a while at the University of South Australia.
Recently, he was appointed as a Member of the Board of Studies at Chitkara University in Chandigarh, a beautiful city in North India designed by the famous Swiss/French architect Le Corbusier. He also teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students there.
He loves trekking, especially in the hills, and never misses an opportunity to play a game of tennis. The Western and Indian classical music are always within his reach for instant relaxation.
And last, but not least, is his firm belief in the power of the positive thought to heal oneself and others.