Campus destinations break away from tradition
The US or UK might be the first choice for Indian students seeking foreign degrees. But there are other hot campus destinations too. Tips for India-bound expat bosses
By Ishani Duttagupta, TNN |
The US or Britain might continue to be the first choice for many Indian students seeking foreign degrees. But there are other non-traditional campus destinations too which are fast gaining popularity among Indians.
Of course, going by numbers, the US still remains on top with 76,503 Indian students having gone to study there in 2005-2006. In comparison, 39,166 students went to Australia, 19,000 to the UK and around 2500 to New Zealand. Canada got 2361 Indian students in 2006 and France had about 1500.
In fact, various non-English speaking countries in Europe such as France are becoming popular destinations for Indian students. CampusFrance — the apex body for education in France — has recently launched a digitised and streamlined system of application for foreign students. Students applying to institutes in France will have to register through a single online application. They can make multiple admission requests through a single application.
This system offers a big advantage to foreign students on the lines of the US SEVIS. In another important development, Germany is considering a two-year work permit system for Indian students after they finish their courses, which will be a major advantage in looking for jobs in Germany and the rest of Europe.
“More students from India are now choosing France because of greater awareness of the excellent standards in higher education, especially in the Grandes Ecoles. These offer many programmes in English, and language and other cultural issues are no longer significant barriers.
The Grandes Ecoles are France’s Ivy League of top engineering and business schools. The authorities are now working at attracting more Indian students to these schools. “Indian students who study here give good feedback to their friends back in India. The Grandes Ecoles system provides world class education in both engineering and management at a fraction of the cost of Ivy League institutions in the US.
Housing allowances from the French government for students - which can go up to 40% to 50 % of one’s rent - and access to the healthcare system at a low rate, are other advantages,” says Christopher Cripps, dean of international affairs at the Ecole Centrale in Paris.
Besides engineering and management courses, specialised courses such as the MBA in luxury and the MBA in hospitality offered at the international business school ESSEC are becoming very popular among Indian students.
Of course, going by numbers, the US still remains on top with 76,503 Indian students having gone to study there in 2005-2006. In comparison, 39,166 students went to Australia, 19,000 to the UK and around 2500 to New Zealand. Canada got 2361 Indian students in 2006 and France had about 1500.
In fact, various non-English speaking countries in Europe such as France are becoming popular destinations for Indian students. CampusFrance — the apex body for education in France — has recently launched a digitised and streamlined system of application for foreign students. Students applying to institutes in France will have to register through a single online application. They can make multiple admission requests through a single application.
This system offers a big advantage to foreign students on the lines of the US SEVIS. In another important development, Germany is considering a two-year work permit system for Indian students after they finish their courses, which will be a major advantage in looking for jobs in Germany and the rest of Europe.
“More students from India are now choosing France because of greater awareness of the excellent standards in higher education, especially in the Grandes Ecoles. These offer many programmes in English, and language and other cultural issues are no longer significant barriers.
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Where programmes are in French, intensive language training is offered. Also, as business and corporate links between the two countries are growing fast, seeking employment in French companies, especially those having or wishing to have, a presence in India (who then sponsor the candidate for obtaining a work visa) is becoming easier,” feels Mr Suman Modwel, professor and director of research at the ENPC School of International Management in Paris.The Grandes Ecoles are France’s Ivy League of top engineering and business schools. The authorities are now working at attracting more Indian students to these schools. “Indian students who study here give good feedback to their friends back in India. The Grandes Ecoles system provides world class education in both engineering and management at a fraction of the cost of Ivy League institutions in the US.
Housing allowances from the French government for students - which can go up to 40% to 50 % of one’s rent - and access to the healthcare system at a low rate, are other advantages,” says Christopher Cripps, dean of international affairs at the Ecole Centrale in Paris.
Besides engineering and management courses, specialised courses such as the MBA in luxury and the MBA in hospitality offered at the international business school ESSEC are becoming very popular among Indian students.
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Canada is yet another country that attracts Indian students who are looking for quality courses in specialised areas. The fact that everywhere across Canada, except Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, international students get a two-year work permit after their studies is also attracting more students from India. “There’s a large and diverse Indo-Canadian community in Canada, many of the Indians here are very successful. Many students from India have a relative near their schools and that gives them a sense of security. The university system is also similar which makes it comfortable for Indian students coming here,” says Sheila Embleton, vice-president academic at York University in Toronto.
World class education at lower costs is yet another reason for Indian students moving to Canada feels Maria Mathai of the Canada Education Centre (CEC) in Delhi. “The cost factor is a very important consideration as more and more students and parents have realised that they get world class education at comparatively lower costs because education in Canada is highly subsidised.
Today, international education is seen as an important factor and many students like to experience more than one culture during their study. Hence colleges across non-traditional destinations such as Europe are recruiting international students to keep pace with the changing society. The fact that Canada is a multicultural country and classrooms are very international has helped increase interest in Canada. Besides, Canadians are known for their warmth and friendliness and returning students are very strong advocates for Canada,” she says.
Australia has recently become the most popular destination for Indian students after America, and this is largely because the country is open to immigrants and has a multicultural campus life. “Australia is well known as for its high quality education which is quite affordable even for a middle class Indian student. The total numbers of International students in Australia in 2007, according to statistics released by Australian Education International, till date are 314,180 from 190 different nationalities. Of these, around 42,500 are Indian students.
This rich diversity of nationalities ensures a truly international student experience. Indian students also choose Australia because of the worldwide acceptance and respect for Australian degrees and qualifications. Finally, the skilled migration reforms in Australia were designed to improve the labour market acceptability of former overseas students. These are favourable for Indian graduates with advanced tertiary qualifications, excellent proficiency in English and skilled work experience,” says Henry Ledlie, director, India, IDP Education Australia.
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Besides Australia, New Zealand too is emerging as a popular destination for Indian students because of a significant skills shortage of qualified people and a pathway of education to work and to permanent residency in vocational areas that have major employment shortages.
The availability of jobs after education, hassle-free work permits and pathway to permanent residence are proving to be some of the biggest draws with Indian students going to study overseas. “The final decision of Indian students in seeking out foreign study destinations will always be determined by post-study work permit regulations and permanent residence policies,” feels Ajay Sharma, MD of immigration consultancy Abhinav Outsourcing.
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