Australian study hub welcomes nearly 1,000 students

Study Melbourne Hub Shanghai, the first overseas study hub established by the government of the Australian state of Victoria, has received nearly 1,000 visits by Chinese students since its opening in April.

Chinese students enrolled in the 10 universities in Victoria but are unable to travel can rely on this two-story site near the Bund to stay engaged with the community of the Australian schools and gain more in-depth interactions with professors and peers, the hub operator said during a media interview on Monday.

A total of 25 activities themed on education, future career development, and industry trends have been organized at the hub, with the most recent one being held on Monday. During this event, alumni shared their experiences and growth paths with the current students.

Some participants were Victorian school students from other parts of China, such as Beijing and provinces of Sichuan and Shandong, according to Brett Stevens, Commissioner to Greater China from the Victorian government.

"Chinese students accounted for a large proportion of our international students. We have 210,000 international students in the state of Victoria, and 88,000 of them are from China," said Stevens.

"We try to provide alternative support, such as mentorship programs as well as job-seeking and interview skills, for the students," he said.

The second floor of the hub has various study spaces, including individual tables and group study rooms. Activities are usually held on the third floor. Services provided by the venue are not restricted to the pandemic period, according to the hub.

"We'll probably see more students from Victorian schools coming to the hub after the pandemic," said Stevens. "Also, we'll encourage students from Victoria to visit China and use this as a base for them to engage with others. We see this as an opportunity to expand their footprints and the level of engagement that we can provide to the students."

The hub is part of the Victorian government's plan to build a global study network in its key international education market. Another four hubs have been set up in India, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Latin America.

Huang Xinyi contributed to this story.