Food Insecurity among International Students Within and Beyond Victoria, Australia

"Student aid capped as demand soars," "International students facing long queues at foodbanks," "Sydney doctor reports cases of scurvy among students." A brief survey of Australian newspapers points to an alarming rise of food insecurity among university students in Australia, especially international students. The large number of casual job losses due to Covid-19 has meant that many students cannot count on their regular income. In the case of international students, who have no right to access employment-related government support in Australia, the situation has become especially precarious as they struggle to cover university fees and food expenses. This project examines the immediate and long-term problem of food insecurity among international university students in the Australian State of Victoria in order to better understand the nature of this issue and devise possible solutions. The project involves a co-investigation research strategy. We will engage students with lived experience of food insecurity as co-investigators to co-develop an interview protocol that they would use to interview student-participants on (1) food insecurity experiences, drivers, and consequences and (2) their views about how the issue of food insecurity on campus might be addressed. The findings of the research will be used by the investigators and student co-investigators to develop an action plan to help guarantee local and international students' food security. The project speaks directly to the SSRC Rapid Response Grant (RRG) goals, especially the determination to "understand the pandemic as a social phenomenon" and "inform responses based on knowledge of human interactions and institutions."