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Go8 Board appoints interim Chair as it meets to determine plans for next steps for international students in COVID-19 recovery

May 8, 2020

8 May 2020

The Go8 Board has met to determine next steps as its researchers and senior management teams work to support the Federal and State Governments on their targeted “Roadmaps to Recovery”. This follows the Go8 producing the only comprehensive evidence-based report on two exit and recovery strategies with some 60 recommendations for the Federal Government, delivered on 27 April.

Next for decision on the Go8 Board agenda has been, as the Government has requested, how best to, consider the logistical and safety measures of a stress-test secure corridor back into Australia for tranches of International students. Such a secure corridor of entry for those students early in 2021 could be used as a precursor to the safe and successful opening-up of the nation’s international borders more widely.

Included on today’s Board agenda was the appointment of Go8 Deputy Chair and Monash President and Vice Chancellor Professor Margaret Gardner, AC, as interim Go8 Chair during the indefinite personal leave of appointed Go8 Chair, the University of Adelaide’s Professor Peter Rathjen.

Professor Gardner, who has been Vice Chancellor at Monash since 2014, is previous past Chair of Universities Australia and also a former Chair of the Australian Technology Network.

The Go8 will make further statements on its potential plans for the 2021 on-campus teaching and research of its international student cohort in coming weeks. This cohort, as all domestic students are currently doing, is studying online, either onshore in Australia or in their home countries. All Go8 universities have dedicated teams in regular personal contact with each student.

Contact: Vicki Thomson, Group of Eight Chief Executive on +61 438 047 155