Decoding merits of higher education abroad
The past few years have seen an acceleration in the trend of moving overseas for higher studies. According to the data from Indian Students Mobility Report, 2016, students moving abroad for higher studies crossed the 3,50,000 mark.
As per UNESCO’s 2016 study of Indian students opting for higher education overseas, the top destinations that the students look at are the United States (48%), Australia (12%), the United Kingdom (8%), Canada (6%) and New Zealand (5%).
When bright students look around for a top-ranked institute in India that does not include the study of hard sciences, biotechnology, information technology, their choices are reduced to a handful. Also, the number of students who can be served is limited due to the restricted number of seats in the institutes offering these courses.
Thus, foreign universities not only provide internationally recognised qualifications of the highest standards, but also focus on inculcating cultural acumen relating to a particular region.
A growing number of universities around the world are introducing transitional programs or bridge building modules to close the cultural gap for international students. These allow students to spend time experiencing the country, culture and the university by understanding the language, the environment and interests of the students.
British universities combine the elements of tradition and modernity, thereby providing a platform to students to delve into the British culture . American universities are known to believe in community institutions that bring international students closer to the American community. Australia’s style of education is considered unique and captures significant traits of thinking by supporting innovative and creative independence. This encourages development of flexible and lateral thinking, applicable academically and professionally. New Zealand supports vocational and innovative training whereas Canada is known for its access to world class research and the support for causal thinking. The US is considered the most preferred destination for higher studies with more than a lakh students moving there every year. The next preferred destination is Australia with over 45,000 Indian students studying in Australia at the start of 2017.
After the recent visit to India by Malcolm Turnbull, the prime minister of Australia, the number of Indian students migrating to Australia is set to rise.
The Australian Qualifications Framework is a policy that has been put into place by the Australian government to ensure there is equal recognition for all the students that graduate out of any Australian university. The country also boasts of worldclass research with major inventions to their credit.
Students also have the flexibility of working when they are studying due to the tractable student visa rules. Courses in top Australian universities like Monash, Carnegie Mellon and University of Sydney are aimed towards bridging the gap between education delivery and skill shortage in the country. The support provided by the government is another motivation of studying in Australia.
The Australian government puts aside a budget of close to $200 million, in the form of scholarships, for international students.
The number of students seeking education abroad is slated to increase, because of the welcoming environment provided by the universities by acquainting students with the cultural settings even before they start studying.
International exposure prepares the students for a global platform in terms of competitiveness, growth and leadership. The differences in cultures at home and abroad widen the horizons and allow the youth to adapt to broader perspectives.