Episode title:

Caged by Rules

Brief summary:

Rules, which have been following us from the moment we are born. Children follow the rules set by parents, students follow the rules set by schools, workers follow the rules set by companies, and citizens follow the laws set by the country.

What happens when international students face rules that in different countries and culture? Some international students in University of Melbourne think rules sometimes “form a triangular cage, shackle me in the middle”. This week on Subclass 500, Xuyang Liu takes you into the story of two international students who were trapped in rules’ cage, and explores the deeper relationship between rules and the individual.

Email address

Xuyang Liu: xuyliu1@student.unimelb.edu.au

Music and sound effects for this episode of Subclass 500 were sourced from https://mixkit.co/free-stock-music/

Credits:

Series Producer: Yuxuan Liu 
Senior Producer: Songyu Wu, Xuyang Liu
Host: Cissy
Sound Design: Elliot Rodriguez
Design and Social Media: Ruofeng Ning & Wen Yang
Executive Producer: Sami Shah

sami.shah@unimelb.edu.au

Theme music is "Political Test" by Igor Dvorkin (PRS) | Ellie Kidd (PRS). Audio Rights Network Limited.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode title:

Can love last long distance?

Brief summary:

The topic of this podcast is long-distance relationships for international students. The podcast is divided into two parts, the first part is about the problems and solutions of long distance relationship through a couple who are in the process of long distance relationship. The second part introduces and discusses the phenomenon of life partners based on the story of a Melbourne-based Chinese student and her life partner.

Topic #1 [0:38] Problems and solutions for international students during long-distance relationships
Topic #2 [4:07] Mutual trust, frequent contact and the establishment of common goals help a long-distance relationship to continue.
Topic #3 [5:10] On Chinese social media, some international students in long-distance relationships choose to find a life partner because they can't afford the high cost of living and loneliness.
Topic #4 [12:05] However, long-distance relationship is not as bad as people think.

Email address

Songyu Wu: songyu@student.unimelb.edu.au

Credits:

Series Producer: Yuxuan Liu 
Senior Producer: Songyu Wu, Xuyang Liu
Host: Cissy
Sound Design: Elliot Rodriguez
Design and Social Media: Ruofeng Ning & Wen Yang
Executive Producer: Sami Shah

sami.shah@unimelb.edu.au

Theme music is "Political Test" by Igor Dvorkin (PRS) | Ellie Kidd (PRS). Audio Rights Network Limited.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode title:

Can I find a future in Australia?

Brief summary:

The number of international students in Australia is rapidly increasing, and some of them want to stay here to work and live. But they will face various difficulties and challenges. They have all put in a lot of effort. However, their future is still uncertain. The first interviewee, Michael Zhao, studies engineering and will graduate at the end of this year. He is very dissatisfied with the employment environment in his own country and is considering better education for the next generation. He wants to stay in Australia, but he is worried that it’s difficult to find a job after graduation due to his working experience. He got an internship opportunity, but the company is far from home, he even spent over 3 hours on the way to the company. The second interviewee is Arthur Chen, whose major is Arts. However, he has not yet found a job and is waiting for a working visa. He doesn't like the fierce competition among young people in his country. However, he felt that the Australian working visa didn’t bring him any advantages. Moreover, his long-distance relationship makes him upset. The third interviewee, Shell Wang, graduated in 2011 and currently works for an investment company. Before, she did copywriting work in a small company with a low salary. After quitting, she spent hard months to find a new job. But her working visa is about to expire. She wants to continue working here, so she is considering applying for a new visa. However, the Australian visa policy often changes, which makes her worried. Finally, Dr Yu Tao analyses the difficulties and reasons faced by international students.

Topic #1 [0:00] Michael Zhao’s story: his incredible internship experience, and his reasons why he wants to stay in Australia.
Topic #2 [4:21] Arthur Chen’s story: he can’t find a job at this stage, he feels a working visa is not helpful for him, and the long-distance relationship bothered him.
Topic #3 [8:18] Shell Wang’s story: she had a hard period of time when she just graduated, although she has a stable job now, she worries about her future visa.
Topic #4 [11:43] Dr Yu Tao’s explanation

News articles

Resource #1: https://www.afr.com/policy/health-and-education/life-is-about-to-get-tougher-for-the-record-1m-foreign-students-here-20230711-p5dnd4
Resource #2: https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/australia-must-join-global-race-to-settle-international-students-20221216-p5c70u
Resource #3: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/international-graduates-earn-substantially-less-than-other-graduates-heres-by-how-much/17zkvb249
Resource #4: https://www.sbs.com.au/language/hindi/en/podcast-episode/australian-immigration-victoria-opens-its-skilled-migration-program-for-2023-24/yjfhytpwh

Email address

ruofengn@student.unimelb.edu.au

Credits:

Series Producer: Yuxuan Liu 
Senior Producer: Songyu Wu, Xuyang Liu
Host: Cissy
Sound Design: Elliot Rodriguez
Design and Social Media: Ruofeng Ning & Wen Yang
Executive Producer: Sami Shah

sami.shah@unimelb.edu.au

Theme music is "Political Test" by Igor Dvorkin (PRS) | Ellie Kidd (PRS). Audio Rights Network Limited.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode title:

Navigating Cultures

Brief summary:

When international students first set foot in Melbourne, they often feel alienated due to the absence of a sense of home and may feel apprehensive due to the cultural differences. They yearn for resonance and familiarity. In this episode, two Chinese students joined the university's Chinese martial arts club, while another student from China blended Chinese music with various other genres. An Indonesian student, on the other hand, joined the Indonesian society to promote the culture of traditional Indonesian festivals within the school. Through their involvement in diverse communities and the pursuit of their passions and professional interests, they not only found joy but also showcased their native cultures to this multicultural city of Melbourne. Meanwhile, local Australian students beautifully illustrated how they have come to embrace and love the cultures of other countries. For international students, such acceptance and appreciation from their peers can be the greatest source of encouragement and warmth.

Topic#1[2:18] Barry’s music story

Topic#2[6:08] Sany’s story

Topic#3[7:12] Unimelb Chinese wushu club story

Resources

Unimelb orientation week

https://students.unimelb.edu.au/new-students/melbourne-orientation

Interviewees

Barry: a Chinese international student studying music projection and composition and the Australia Institute of Music.

Sany: An Indonesian international student at Unimelb

Pakto: a Chinese international student of the Chinese Wushu Kongfu Club at Unimelb

Changfa: a Chinese international student of the Chinese Wushu Kongfu Club at Unimelb

Nathaniel: an Australian student of the Chinese Wushu Kongfu Club at Unimelb

contact email

Yuxuan Liu: yuxuanl19@student.unimelb.edu.au

Credits:

Series Producer: Yuxuan Liu 
Senior Producer: Songyu Wu, Xuyang Liu
Host: Cissy
Sound Design: Elliot Rodriguez
Design and Social Media: Ruofeng Ning & Wen Yang
Executive Producer: Sami Shah

sami.shah@unimelb.edu.au

Theme music is "Political Test" by Igor Dvorkin (PRS) | Ellie Kidd (PRS). Audio Rights Network Limited.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the rule changes that make hard to earn a living, to the challenges of a long-distance relationship, from the freedoms of being a woman in Australia, to the cage made by paperwork designed to keep you out, all while learning to speak in a new language. These are some of challenges faced by international students at the University of Melbourne, and this is a podcast revealing those stories.seven-part series coming very soon from the Centre for Advancing Journalism. Episode 1 will be released on October 20. 

Credits:

Series Producer: Yuxuan Liu 
Senior Producer: Songyu Wu, Xuyang Liu
Host: Cissy
Sound Design: Elliot Rodriguez
Design and Social Media: Ruofeng Ning & Wen Yang
Executive Producer: Sami Shah

sami.shah@unimelb.edu.au

Theme music is "Political Test" by Igor Dvorkin (PRS) | Ellie Kidd (PRS). Audio Rights Network Limited.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode title:

Breaking the Language Barrier

Episode summary:

In this episode Subclass 500, Elliot Rodriguez speaks with fellow international students about their experiences with the language barrier they encountered when moving to Australia. Throughout the episode these students share the trials and tribulations of being an international student from a country that does not speak English. Many learn the language when they arrive and are forced to learn and use this foreign language at a university level. However, the language barrier doesn't just affect non-native English speakers, Elliot discovers throughout the episode that he too has faced similar problems with the Australian accent since arriving from Miami, Florida.

At the University of Melbourne professors are strict with the translation rules for assignments, making it even harder for some students to do their class projects. This episode offers a real world take on the issue of language barriers for international students and sits down with currently and previously enrolled students. The aim of the episode is to educate people on some of the struggles that international students must go through when studying abroad. Doing so in a way that is entertaining and warm, yet newsy and informative.

Topic # 1 Dominik- Speaking on her experience (:50)

Topic # 2 Dr. Craig Smith- explaining social norms for international students (2:17)

Topic # 3 Gwen- giving coffee shop experience (4:06)

Topic # 4 JoJo- talking about the different words used in the west compared to Australia (7:44)

Topic #5 Emma Elliot- Real time example of not understanding the accents in Australia (9:26)

Contact:

Elliot Rodriguez : errodrigue@student.unimelb.edu.au

Credits:

Series Producer: Yuxuan Liu 
Senior Producer: Songyu Wu, Xuyang Liu
Host: Cissy
Sound Design: Elliot Rodriguez
Design and Social Media: Ruofeng Ning & Wen Yang
Executive Producer: Sami Shah

sami.shah@unimelb.edu.au

Theme music is "Political Test" by Igor Dvorkin (PRS) | Ellie Kidd (PRS). Audio Rights Network Limited.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.