A selection of profiles of international students who are currently studying in Australia. Please click on a name.

If you would like to submit a student profile for inclusion in this section, please click here

Name: Aihua Ning

Country of Origin: China

Place of Study: The University of Sydney

Being an international student, I feel studying in a foreign country is quite challenging. Since living harmoniously within a new cultural environment and studying successfully across culture are not easy. We need to leap over language barriers, to cope with cultural shock, to overcome study difficulties and to struggle with emotional upheaval. For the first few months after I arrived in Australia, I was nearly overwhelmed by these combined factors.

However, after having got used to the new environment, I feel studying in Australia is also enjoyable. Since living in Australia, a multicultural country, we can experience mant 'local'customs and practices and make friends with people from all over the world. As well, studying in Australia is rewarding. What we are learning here is not only from studies, but also from our daily lives. The broadened new knowledge would be obviously helpful for a career success.

In short, it is in Australia that I have experienced the hardest time in my life, it is also in Australia that I enjoy an unforgetful life, as well, the time I spend in Australia will become the most fruitful season of my life.

Name: Andrea Iris Schäfer

Country of Origin: Germany

Place of Study: University of New South Wales

I am currently finishing my PhD in Chemical Engineering in the UNESCO Centre for Membrane Science and Technology in the School of Chemical Engineering and Industrial Chemistry. I am looking at removing natural organic substances from drinking waters which become carcinogenic when chlorinated.

My initial degrees are an Honours in Physics Engineering (Germany), a Masters in Environmental Engineering (France) and a research degree (D.E.A.) in Process Engineering (France). I have worked on membranes in many places (Germany, New Zealand, France) and fell in love with them before ever starting to study! During my time in New Zealand, I started to like research, loved the working conditions and began to consider a PhD. So after my final year in France, my partner and I decided to go to Australia.

The UNESCO Centre for Membrane Science and Technology was famous for what I wanted to do, while the Photovoltaics Special Research Centre at UNSW served the other half. So here we were, yet to face many difficulties associated with red tape and moving far away from home for a very long time. But we made it, now both with scholarships, finances to go to conferences overseas, and what I really love is the freedom to do what I want. I always wanted to work with or supervise visiting students and although this is not usual in the Australian system, I am able to do this and achieved a much broader experience that way. What is very nice as well is the incredibly good library at UNSW and the fact that I can access analytical instruments all over the campus and generally people are helpful.

To write up my PhD I moved out of the city air to the coast near Wollongong (70km south of Sydney), literally overlooking the sea and the sound of the waves reducing stress levels. This has been a wonderful experience of the Australian countryside. People are friendly, are less rushed and it is a lot easier to make real friends than in the city and especially to meet people who think about other things than PhDs. Being an outdoor fanatic I spend most of my spare time bushwalking or exploring the numerous national parks in the area and there is plenty left for a post-PhD holiday. Finally, the research I did over the last three years at UNSW is internationally very competitive and I would do it again.

Name: Audrey Hauser

Country of Origin: USA

Place of Study: The University of Sydney

I was overwhelmed with the choice of units of study. There are subjects that I didn't even think existed! Although I decided to stick to subjects related to Accounting, I had the choice to take anything I wanted. Also, Australia is a world leader in the field of Accounting, especially research. It's great because I come here and my professors are the authors of the research that I'd been reading about back home. It's just fantastic!

I was a bit overwhelmed at first because I go to a small private university back home and the University of Sydney is such a large institution. It all comes together really quickly though. The International Office helps set up everything and the Orientation is a good ice-breaker. Not only do you get to meet other international students and see how they're coping, but you get to meet Australian students and the lecturers too. The University has a vast cultural mix and there are people here from every background imaginable, which makes things very interesting. I think it's important to encounter as much diversity as possible.

I live very close to the University which means I have my academic, sporting and social life practically on my doorstep. The Uni is so close to the city centre too and I knew it would be everything I was looking for.

Name: Michele Rivière

Country of Origin: France

Place of Study: University of Western Australia

Born on the Indian Ocean island of Réunion, off the north west coast of Madagascar, Michele Rivière returned to her native France to attend school and university. She obtained her law degree from the University of Bordeaux in 1996. "I found studying in Europe very intensive and somewhat stressful. The French system depends very much on individual competition with little in the way of teamwork or learning as a group."

Already a confident international traveller, Michele decided to look outside Europe for somewhere to study her Master of Business Administration. "America appealed to me but studying there is just too expensive. I have a good friend who was then at the University of Western Australia. He sent me a prospectus and some literature about the Graduate School of Management. I must say I was impressed by the professionalism of these brochures. It was apparent they took the marketing and promotion of their own facilities very seriously."

Having decided Australia was the place to go, Michele flew to Perth in time to start her four trimester, full-time MBA course in September 1998.

"I was surprised by the degree of flexibility. In France, you must begin the course in a specific month. Here you can enter at the start of any trimester. It reflects a generally more easy-going attitude. Studying at UWA is still hard work and everyone takes it very seriously, but it is not so stressful as being at Bordeaux University. The atmosphere is friendlier and more relaxed."

Michele soon discovered that the cost of living - and of education - was also easier to cope with in Perth. Even the currency exchange rate was in her favour at the time she arrived. Since then she has been able to find accommodation close to the university campus and cycles to and from school every day.

Does she like Perth? "Oh, yes. It is quite a small city in many ways but very attractive, clean and cosmopolitan. I have met students from many countries - from Europe, Asia, India and of course Australia. There are even three fellow French speakers within the Graduate School of Management."

As for the course itself, Michele had few preconceived ideas about what the content would be and how it would operate. She finds herself pleased with the variety of subjects and believes that, being a post-grad course involving older students, it benefits greatly from an increased amount of teamwork and mutual self-help.

"Everyone seems willing to help everyone else. There is a certain camaraderie that means we can share experiences and opinions freely. This was not the case when I did my law degree in France; but then that was based far more on theory whereas the MBA is more practical, more involving."

Because Michele has opted to complete the course in sixteen months, she will certainly have to put in some intensive study periods. However, the course is designed to be flexible and she will still have the opportunity to concentrate on her chosen specialisation which is international business.

"I have a lot to learn in a short space of time. While being in a foreign country and having to speak English makes it a little more difficult for me, it also makes it more of a challenge; more exciting."

Australia's geographical proximity to Asia makes the study of Asian business systems an essential part of the University of Western Australia's MBA program. Case studies involving companies trading with Asia are a popular part of the course.

"Unfortunately, many of the major companies in the Australasian Pacific region have their Australian headquarters in cities such as Sydney, Melbourne or Adelaide. This makes it difficult for UWA to forge many long-term links with those involved in local industry and commerce. It is not easy for students to make contacts with large companies so, when it comes to in-depth case studies, the number of potential subjects is limited."

It's a comment about which the university administration is only too aware. Consultations are already underway to encourage more links with local industry and to investigate the introduction of scholarships and sponsorship schemes involving Perth-based organisations.

On the subject of geographical location, Michele also feels that the Graduate School of Management, situated as it is on the outskirts of the university campus, is a little isolated. "The social life on campus seems to be very lively but we MBA post-grads sometimes feel we are too far away from the centre of things. But, then again, study doesn't leave much time for partying and perhaps the school's location only enhances the feeling of being a group and of having to help one another."

And what of the future for Michele Rivière?

"I believe that with an MBA from a well-known university like UWA I could work almost anywhere in the world, but I will probably return to France. I certainly intend to make more use of my MBA than my law degree although it too will no doubt prove useful. I would like to work for an international fashion house or cosmetic company. But we'll have to wait and see."

Name: Dewan Md Foezullah

Country of Origin: Bangladesh

Place of Study: Australian National University

The ANU had always been my favourite choice. Its Faculty of Law attracted me because of its renown teaching excellence and distinctive academic record. Being located in the national capital; it also offers students the opportunity to attend high-profile workshops and seminars which are extra bonus for me. Studying laws is very exciting. We discuss issues and problems and share our views among classmates, senior students and the lecturers. Here education is an inter-active process. Studying at the ANU is an exciting, challenging and enjoyable experience. It is for me; will also be for you.

International Student Profiles

Within this site we look to create a personal touch by featuring profiles from international students around the world. This gives those already studying away from home the chance to let others know how they have found the experience of studying in a foreign country and the benefits of studying abroad. Because the site has such an international focus, wherever your place of study is in the world, we will be interested in hearing from you.

Each profile should be around 120 words in length and should state the student's name, country of origin and place of study (name of university/college/school). If possible, please also send a passport size or larger photograph or a .jpg file.

If you would like to supply a student profile, please send it to:

Student Profiles
StudyOverseas.Com
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We look forward to hearing your experiences of studying overseas!