International students touch down in Canberra after border re-opening

The students, all of which are continuing their studies started before or during the COVID-19 pandemic, were welcomed back by the Australian National University and University of Canberra as part of a pilot program between ACT and NSW.

Universities across the two jurisdictions have joined together to arrange the logistics for overseas students who completed studies while they were locked out of physically arriving in the country.

Flights had been scheduled for December last year but were pushed back after the Omicron variant quickly began spreading around the globe.

Xiaotian Liu had planned to arrive in Canberra two years ago to complete the final semester of his undergraduate degree at ANU.

But the unforeseen pandemic swept through his home country of China, and the rest of the world soon after, meaning he was forced to stay put in Beijing and attempt online studies.

Despite only arriving less than a week ago, he's already began racing around to prepare for the next two years of his new life.

"This is a really busy week for me. I need to do a lot," he said.

"I need to open a bank account and buy a SIM card and explore [my] accommodation.

"It's totally a new kind of lifestyle for me so I'm really excited."

Xiaotian is one of 17 ANU students and six University of Canberra students who arrived on a flight from China over the weekend with more expected to join in the months before the semester begins.

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University of Canberra's deputy vice-chancellor Professor Geoff Crisp said there were around 600 international students who remained overseas and were first on the list to be brought to campus.

"We want the students back because it's not just the educational things they do," he said.

"It's also the connections they make and the social interactions that they have as well, which is obviously very important."

An ANU spokesperson would not say how many international students were expected to enrol in the first semester but added there were applications coming from 131 countries, offering a promising outlook for the year.

"The diversity that they bring to our student population, and also to our culture here, is actually good for Canberra," Professor Crisp said.

Xiaotian said he had already completed one semester online and had made some good friends despite the limitations of remote learning.

He recalled bonding with them after they all faced being locked out of the country.

Now that he had arrived on campus, he was eager to see the people behind those screens he had worked with for months.

"I made some my friends who [are] from Australia, from America, and from India, and I have a really good friendship with them," he said.

"I can't wait to meet them as soon as possible."

But before Xiaotian worries about making plans with his new friends when they arrive in the coming weeks, he says he needs to do something about Canberra's weather after arriving from freezing Beijing.

"I need to buy sunscreen because, wow, the sun is really strong," he said.

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