Almost four months after a spate of attacks on Indian students in Australia, universities Down Under have started reaching out to Indian students with specially designed attractive packages along with assurances of safety.

From spelling out their commitment to support students to introducing security information smart cards, the latest among the Australian universities visiting India, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, has many ‘exclusives’ for Indian students.

Almost 65-70 per cent of international students joining the university every year come from India. As such, the university, like many others, has shifted focus from orientation programmes to safety sessions by the local police.

Pro Vice-Chancellor Jeffery Smart said during his visit to Ahmedabad: “We will invite the Victoria Police for security sessions, and will appoint an international students accommodation officer and introduce security information smart cards for international students. Research scholarships, on-campus accommodation and other special scholarships for the welfare of Indian students have been designed as well.”

He added: “The actions of a handful of people can’t change the fact that Australian universities remain the world’s best destination for Indian students. We are taking special steps to ensure that Indian students feel safe in our university.”

Universities from Western Australia and the Perth Education City have already sent delegations to Indian cities to express solidarity with the students here while Swinburne University has been making extra efforts to maintain an edge over the other universities.

Other Australian universities are believed to have already begun capitalising on the situation by reaching out to Indians as ‘safer’ destinations.

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