Racism is the one thing that every international student has to deal with at some point in their life in Australia, according to a University of Wollongong Chinese association spokesman.
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Duan Chang, president of the Wollongong Chinese Students and Scholars Association, said racism took many forms, from verbal assaults, which often affected Asian students, to physical abuse.
"Racism is one of the struggles that we have to face other than language, academic difficulty, loneliness, financial pressure and so on," he said.
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Mr Chang's comments came after a group of Illawarra teenagers was charged over a gang assault on a Sydney train on Monday that left two Chinese students injured.
A 17-year-old girl and 14-year-old boy from Port Kembla, a 16-year-old girl from Unanderra and three men including a 19-year-old from Port Kembla were charged.
Mr Chang said many students he knew had been victims of some form of racism.
"They have been called unpleasant names by random strangers, and sometimes people out of nowhere will drive past them and throw rocks, trash or eggs at them then run away," he said.
He said, however, that while racism was a concern, it was perpetrated by a small group of "uneducated people".
"The majority of locals are truly very friendly and kind," he said.
"We do genuinely feel safe in Wollongong. Fighting against racism is still part of our lives, yet we still do have a very strong faith in love and tolerance."
Chinese represent the largest cohort of international students studying at UOW's Gwynneville and Innovation campuses.
Overall, overseas visitors total almost 4700, or 23 per cent of the total 20,000 students.
UOW academic registrar Megan Huisman said racism was not a major concern at the university.
"We do hear of the concerns, but it's not from a racist angle, it's more about feeling safe in the community," she said.
The university conducted compulsory safety sessions, such as travel on public transport, which formed part of the enrolment process for international students.
Ms Huisman said UOW tried to create a positive profile around international students in the broader community through the annual Welcome to Wollongong festival.
UOW has previously experienced a downturn in Indian student enrolments after security threats to those living in Melbourne in 2010.
An Australian Institute of Criminology study released last year on Crimes Against International Students found that, in 2005-09, international students were less likely to be assaulted than the average person in Australia.
Top 10 international countries represented at UOW
1 China
2 United States
3 Vietnam
4 Thailand
5 India
6 Iran
7 Canada
8 Libya
9 Saudi Arabia
10 Malaysia
