More than 75 community representatives and international students attended the forum, held in response to a number of attacks on international and Australian students at the campus in the past two months.

Newcastle University Student Association international convener Eduardo Carvajal said some armed robberies had happened when foreign students were walking home because they could not afford public transport.

The meeting heard that NSW was one of only two states in Australia that did not give international students travel concessions, with student representatives saying foreign students were being treated like "cash cows".

Solicitor Aristotle Paipetis told the meeting that a 2006 Administrative Decisions Tribunal ruling found the NSW Government had breached anti-discrimination laws by denying international students travel concessions. But the Government had subsequently changed the laws.

Mr Paipetis called on students to renew the campaign for equal treatment.

Wallsend state Labor MP Sonia Hornery agreed that the State Government laws were discriminatory.

She urged students to wage a letter-writing campaign.

"It makes me feel embarrassed and disgusted as your member that these things have happened to you," she told students.

"Thank you for choosing the Newcastle region; we are proud to have you here."

Hunter Ethnic Communities Council president George Boyko called for a taskforce to be set up to address the problem of racism towards students.

Newcastle University Deputy Vice-Chancellor Kevin McConkey said police had made arrests in relation to every reported incident since January this year and urged students to report attacks.

"For some of the attacks that occurred, the young people have been cautioned. My feeling is that is not enough, but that is the law," he said.