International Student Security by Simon Maginson - Book Report/Review Example

The book answers a few precursory questions in its subsequent chapters. First, it analyzes the international students in Australia. What is the social and economic security status of international students in Australia? What are their perceptions about the dimensions of their human security? Are the problems they face unique or simply isolated incidents to which any student can be susceptible? The second chapter looks at the setting. Why Australia? What is the significance of using Australia and how can this be relevant to the experience of other countries such as the UK and the USA?

 The regulatory framework governing the various formal and informal security dimensions is also considered and what implications this holds for international students. Students in the global market A few incident case studies are used to introduce some of the dimensions of international student security and the challenges faced by international students in Australia. The first incident highlights the fact that student visa regulations do not allow international students or students with non-citizen status to work for more than 20 hours a week violation of which is grounds for cancellation for the visa.

The second case highlights what seems to be apparent neglect among University security and staff about the whereabouts of international students as a 25-year-old Chinese student is found dead in her apartment with forensic evidence estimating that she had been killed at least seven months earlier. The third incident highlights a racist motivated attack or what is considered as “curry bashing” in which a pre-meditated attack is staged by a group of young men on a Chinese former student, staff member at a university cum researcher leading to his death.

 The perpetrators of the crime, however, are let off with what appears to be light sentences despite the fact that this was a racially motivated attack. These incidents and others mentioned such as the death of a female student while attempting to escape a rape nominally suggest that international students in Australia are not guaranteed their human security rights.