The majority of international students studying in Sydney would recommend the city to their friends as a place to live, work and study.
Research carried out by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), found that nearly nine out of ten international students would recommend the city to a friend, in spite of the city’s notoriously high living costs.
While many students had major concerns regarding the cost of living, finding a job and being able to speak English, prior to arriving in the city, the report found that these concerns did diminish during their stay.
In fact, the research found that 66 per cent of the students polled had completed paid work, with 82 per cent of those saying they were treated fairly at work. Fifty-five per cent of the survey’s respondents also said that they received help finding a place to live when they arrived in Sydney.
“International students make a real contribution to Sydney’s prosperity, they add so much to our cultural life and down the track help to connect our city back to their homes around the globe,” said the city’s Lord Mayor Clover Moore. “When students go home, we hope they will talk about their time here, encouraging their peers to follow in their footsteps. Some may even return with families to take up key roles as their careers develop. It all adds to Sydney’s standing as a global city that attracts and retains talent,” she added.
According to the most recent figures available (October 2016), Australia had roughly 683,000 international students studying in the country. By far the largest share of international students (256,875) were based in the state of New South Wales. The majority of these international students came from China (72,429), followed by India, Thailand, Brazil and Indonesia.
Article published 6th January 2017