The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) data states that at present Indian students are studying in more than 240 destinations globally. According to the data, the numbers have risen after the pandemic.
As per data shared by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in a span of five years from 2017 to 2022, around 1.3 million Indian students went abroad to pursue higher education. The USA, UK, Canada and Australia continue to remain top destinations, a lot of countries from Europe and Asia are also trying to attract Indian students by liberalizing visa rules and offering scholarships.
"There are approximately 1.3 million Indian students studying abroad in various courses for the year 2022. However, the Ministry of Education does not maintain any data regarding the expenditure incurred by Indian students pursuing higher studies in foreign countries," Subhas Sarkar, the Minister of State for Education, informed the Rajya Sabha last month while responding to a question.
The Ministry data states that at present Indian students are studying in more than 240 destinations globally. According to the data, the numbers have risen after the pandemic. India surpassed China in terms of the most international students in the US in 2022. Some of the nations like Uzbekistan, Philippines, Russia, Ireland, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan are also attracting Indian students.
Martin Meyer, Vice Rector & Director, Enola – University of Vaasa, Finland says: “We have seen a surge in the number of Indian students post-Covid. There is interest in new-age courses like data analytics, business analytics and all those things you know that would be attracting Indian students as well. it's quite a safe country.
Though studying abroad is an adventure of a lifetime, however, students often have to face several challenges while looking for the perfect university and place for their higher education. Some of the common challenges students face include the cost of education, cost of living, safety, language barrier, placement opportunities, balancing academics and fun and so on.
Studying abroad provides plenty of learning opportunities beyond the classroom – and that’s part of the fun! You’ll need to grasp your new city’s public transportation system, supermarket complexities, along with additional challenges of studying abroad that you might not realize until you get there.
Jimmy Hill, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Research – the National College of Ireland, Ireland talking about how they help students on campus said that Ireland itself as a country is known as a very safe destination for students. “Our students, when they come on campus, we try to integrate them. We make sure that they have their accommodation on campus, we are with them all the time to make them safe and comfortable,” Hill said.
Post Brexit, Post Pandemic- United Kingdom
The United Kingdom, one of the top destinations for Indian students continues to attract international students as it is home to some of the leading universities in the world, like Oxford, Cambridge, etc. The education system in the UK is also a lot similar to that in India, as well as offering good job opportunities.
The UK universities are top choices for courses in business, engineering, arts, and sciences.
Isobel Hussey, Regional Manager (Central & South Asia) – University of Sussex, UK says: “UK is among the top destinations for Indian students, there was a small dip because of COVID, but the increase is massive. Students are applying for courses in data science, also in psychology, however, subjects like business and engineering still are most popular.”
Andy Howman, Head of International Recruitment, University of Reading, UK echoing the sentiments said: “Our university is very, very well known for postgraduate programs and engineering and biopharmaceutical technologies. Last year we introduced a pharmaceutical and chemical analysis, and international students are getting attracted to it. Students in the UK are getting good jobs.”
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Abhay an alumnus of IIMC and Delhi University, has over a decade long experience of reporting on various beats of journalism. During his free time he prefers listening to music or play indoor and outdoor games.