Feature on International students
10,000 miles away... and right at home
Learning, yes. Qualifications, of course. But, as international students have been finding out for more than six decades, there’s so much more to studying at Monash than getting a degree.
When Dr Tuan Chiong Chew (Engineering, 1980) stepped off the plane from Singapore in February 1976, he was greeted by a blast of cold autumn air… and a growing sense of anticipation.
“It was my first time on a plane, my first time abroad. Everything was new and wonderful,” he says. A Colombo Plan scholar, Chew is a beneficiary of Monash University’s tradition of welcoming international students – which began with the very first student intake in 1961.
More than 60 years later, Monash’s 34,500 international students – making up 40 per cent of the student community – continue to shape campus life, enriching it with diverse cultures, global perspectives and meaningful connections.
At Monash, international students aren’t simply welcomed - they’re vital to who we are. Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student Experience) and Senior Vice-President Professor Sarah McDonald says it best: “Our international students are an integral part of the Monash ecosystem,” she says. “They bring a richness of perspective and lived experience that elevates every classroom discussion, every group project, every club and society.”
International students have always been part of the Monash story. When the University first opened its doors in 1961, around 10 per cent of the inaugural cohort came from overseas - many through Australia’s Colombo Plan, which created opportunities for students across the region, particularly Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. Today that legacy continues. Over the past two decades Monash’s international student community has nearly tripled, growing from 11,611 students (23 per cent of the cohort) in 2005 to 34,578 (40 per cent of the cohort) in 2025.
[photographer Richard Crompton]
While today’s Monash looks very different from its early days, the essence of the student experience for students like Chew remains unchanged. “It’s about independence, community and discovery,” says Professor McDonald. “Our students, with their bright and curious minds, come from all corners of the globe, and together they create a vibrant community that reflects the diverse, interconnected world our graduates go on to shape.”
Making connections
And sometimes that sense of connection happens in the most simple of places - like the kitchen in the Residential Village, as Akshit Jain (IT, 2022) recalls. “The campus felt like a community, not just a university,” he says. “Living in Normanby House (Clayton) he was drawn into late-night kitchen chats and shared dinners that helped turn housemates into lifelong friends. “Whether it was 7am or 2am, someone was always cooking, eating and talking.”
Opportunities for students to learn from each other don’t happen by chance. “We work hard to ensure international students feel welcomed, connected and supported from the moment they arrive,” says Professor McDonald, “from in-country welcome sessions to peer mentoring, International Student Day (a chance to meet other international students as you settle into the community) and conversational programs like English Connect, which provides language support – every initiative is designed to help students thrive.
“Some of the most rewarding feedback we’ve received comes from international students who say they’ve found not just a community but a sense of purpose. Students who arrived feeling unsure or alone often leave knowing they’ve been part of something meaningful.”
A world view
That sense of purpose is something Salonee Mistry (Journalism and International Relations, 2020) credits Monash with helping her discover. Already a qualified journalist in India, she was drawn to the dual Master’s program for the chance to expand, but not repeat, her professional knowledge. “I only applied to Monash. If I didn’t get in, my plan was to apply again next year!”
Arriving in Melbourne, and facing the prospect of living independently for the first time, she found comfort in the warm welcome from Monash’s student network. “The seniors helped me find my first place, guided me through grocery shopping, where to get Indian food, and just how to settle in,” she recalls.
Soon, she was balancing study, part-time work and a growing social circle in a city she came to love. “It wasn’t just about classes. It was about independence, resilience and being surrounded by people who pushed you to grow.”
Her time at Monash sharpened not only her journalistic skills but her world view. “My colleagues back home tell me they’ve noticed a shift in how I write. That came from Monash.”
And that influence goes both ways. “ To address tomorrow’s global challenges, students need a truly global perspective, " explains Professor McDonald. Our international students share their experiences – different backgrounds, cultures and ideas – which enriches the experience for everyone. That makes education deeper, stronger and more relevant to the world today.”
It also fosters an environment where students can be dynamic and bring their best selves. “We aim to support them fully and ensure this exchange works both ways,” Professor McDonald adds. “International students bring the world to campus, and our rich educational experiences, such as the Global Immersion Guarantee – offering unique learning experiences from working in Vanuatu to collaborating with NGOs in Mumbai – send Monash students out into the world with confidence and capability.”
The benefits of showing up
That drive to give and gain is something that Cody Li (Engineering, 2011) knows well after arriving in Melbourne in 2011 through a ‘2+2’ engineering program with Central South University in China. “The cultural and academic shock was real,” he says. “Even pasta was completely foreign to me, both in taste and in pronunciation!”
He found his feet through residential activities, study groups and a summer internship that helped him pivot from academia to industry. Though post-graduation job hunting on a temporary visa was a challenge, one opportunity led to permanent residency. Today he lives in Melbourne with his wife, Karen, also a Monash graduate, and their two sons. “Monash wasn’t just a degree,” says Li. “It changed everything: my career, my home, my family.”
This sentiment resonates with international students across generations. Chew, now a semi-retired fund manager, still recalls his time at Monash’s Howitt Hall as a formative and directional experience. “At first, it was tempting to stay with familiar faces from southeast Asia,” he says. “But I quickly learned that leaving your comfort zone – even when it’s intimidating – is how you grow.” His advice to “show up even when it felt unproductive” became a key message in the graduation address he gave at Monash’s Suzhou campus in 2024. “Never underestimate the value of the unexpected,” he says.
For the University’s international alumni, Monash isn’t just a place to study, it’s a place to belong. And for the thousands of international students who enrich campus life each year, that sense of belonging transforms a degree into an experience that lasts a lifetime.
[Archival images (1964 - 1989) sourced from the Monash University Archives]
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