Do you know that there are special cross-cultural trainers who consult academic and administrative staff at Australian universities on how to correctly pronounce Asian names during graduation ceremonies?
The surge in international students from Asia has created a challenge for university staff: pronouncing their names at graduation ceremonies. Some institutions have resorted to hiring a specialist who can turn difficult names into English-speaking friendly phonetic spellings.
Meet Dr Fiona Price, who provides cross-cultural training to staff at Australian universities.When Indian student enrolments grew, she made a field trip to India to give guest lectures at universities and learn more about their society and education.
One thing that struck her was India's culture of political and philosophical debate. As one Indian professor said to her, "Everyone in India has an opinion on politics, from the Bollywood stars to the lowest rickshaw-wallahs."
She feels if more Australians had the chance to visit Indian universities, they would better understand the struggles Indian students face when studying in Australia.
She has some tips for Indian students studying in Australia:
1. Most Australian universities and colleges provide a lot of services for international students. If you need help – with your studies, your visa, finding a home or job or anything else – don’t hesitate to approach them.
2. Don’t focus exclusively on your course: make the most of your stay by getting involved with activities. Activities many Indian students enjoy while they’re in Australia include playing cricket with their local or university team, dancing and cooking classes and honing their public speaking skills at their local Toastmasters club. Doing this is also a great way to make new friends from a range of cultures.
3. If you get a casual job, make sure you are being paid fairly. There have been cases of employers underpaying students and threatening to tell Immigration if they complain.
