India’s the destination for foreign students

NEW DELHI: Nalanda redux? India, which has become a coveted destination amongst global managers for a professional stint, is regaining its long-lost status as a seat of learning. The country is drawing students from across the world who want to be part of the India story.

The number of foreign students enrolled in various Indian institutions has seen over three-fold rise, up from 6,988 in 2000 to 25,947 in 2006, according to figures available with Association of Indian Universities (AIU).

Interestingly, the biggest jump in their number has come from the students from the country that boasts to be the Mecca of modern education – US. There’s been a whopping 53% increase in the number of students from the US in 2006 itself, according to a report by Institute of International Educations, Open Doors.

Unlike a few years back, these students are not just opting for traditionally popular courses on language and culture, but are increasingly weering towards technology, management, life sciences to name a few.

After all, India’s knowledge economy has abundant to offer in those subjects. The biggest draw for the foreign students is the growing attention India is getting in the world economy. And high standards in undergraduate courses, specially in information technology. “It is difficult for foreign students to compete and get through to our under graduate entrance even for those who have studied in India,” says Prof M Balakrishnan, IIT-Delhi. “

Nevertheless, we do have students at the post graduate level from the foreign countries and the number is likely to rise further.” The institute had 29 foreign students studying in the institution in 2000 which has now gone up to 35.

The story is pretty much the same for degree courses too, especially at those universities that are globally recognised. “We have many students coming for studies in Delhi university. Apart from language courses, they are also evincing interest in IT, management, law and others,” says Tanuja Agarwala, deputy dean-foreign students, at DU. “There has been an influx of Korean and Chinese students to take up commerce and political science and economics in the recent years. Besides, a tag of Delhi University also helps a lot when they want to take up jobs in their home countries.”

IIMs are seeing increasing applications for post-graduate and executive programmes. Institutes report an approximate rise of close to 80% in application for such courses, up from from around 250 last year to 422 this year. “Besides the brand name, there is an absolute cost advantage in opting for such courses here,” says Arvind Sahay, professor, IIM-Ahmedabad. “Not only do you get quality professional education, but at a much lower fee compared to other developed countries.”

What is to be noted is that the interest generated is not the result of any concerted effort by individual institutions. Most Indian institutes haven’t done much by way of brand promotion, to draw the crowd unlike what most reputed institutes in the West do.

So, it’s a natural outcome of the recent development in India and its increasing clout in the world economy. Analysts believe the numbers of foreign student registrations can go up manifold if Indian educational institutions become proactive, both in terms of improving their infrastructure and market themselves well.