How safe is it to study in Australia after Indian students have been attacked in major cities such as Melbourne and Sydney? This question is doing the rounds amongst foreigners studying in Australia and some Indians have made a clear choice of returning home. The attacks have led to parents worrying about the safety of their wards and also resulted in a lot of b-schools communicating with students to reassure them about the institutes safety measures.

Australia is a popular destination for higher studies and over 90,000 Indians are currently studying in Australia. Indian students have been attacked by petrol bombs and stabbed by screwdrivers in various incidents of violence that have taken place at the rented homes of students. I think its extremely important that Australian b-schools ensure that it is easy for students to communicate with authorities in case of difficulties. Victoria University which is one of the most popular destinations for Indian students has wholeheartedly adopted a strategy of distributing safety material to students in various forms and has also discussed safety arrangements with the police and ambulance services.

These attacks will definitely have an impact on the number of international students applying to Australian b-schools in the coming years. B-schools in Kangaroo land are well aware of this fact. Prof Glyn of the Sydney Business School, University of Wollongong says, We are of course concerned that such incidents will damage brand Australia. We will be doubling our efforts to assure all international students that they can expect a very positive experience with our School. Two of my colleagues will be at both rounds of the QS World MBA fairs to be held later this year in India to underline this commitment and to address any concerns personally.

Australian business schools are currently in the middle of addressing security issues with the world media closely tracking how the country is responding to these developments. The Melbourne Business School representative argued that the school has not really been affected because the attacks have taken place in areas located away from the city. According to Victoria University, simple precautions such as traveling with people, carrying limited amounts of money and using computer bags which are not very prominent will go a long way towards improving safety for students.

Educational institutions can only help to a certain extent by guiding students and providing safety measures. Students need to exercise their best judgment while traveling and realize that there are certain risks attached to studying in Australia right now. Applications to b-schools Down Under will definitely reduce if Indians and other international students do not come to terms with this issue.