To be or not to be at education fairs

International education for Indians had almost come to a standstill for a year or so – at least the hubbub around it. And that meant the din of education fairs and the hustle of consultants on the overdrive was but a distant cry. During the silent pandemic months, the virtual fairs, and aspirants and university representatives met quietly and politely online to take matters ahead.

But the uproar is back and it sounds like sweet music, at least to aspirants and their parents, not to forget universities.

As a reporter who covers education, I have seen, witnessed, and covered both kinds of education fairs – offline and online and to be honest, both have their brownie points. Because there is just one plea that can be heard universally in both and that is – “I want to go abroad for better opportunities.”

Compared to fairs held earlier, education fairs appear to have more participants these days – be it online or the other. This, I was told, is because loans are more freely available and in urban spaces, it is almost a given that ‘study abroad’ is the only path to get ‘ahead’. Study fairs are the perfect meeting point for aspirants and university/college officials. During the fairs I have attended so far, I have generally asked which kind of ‘fair’ works better. Students and parents are divided over their preferences. During Covid, of course, there was no choice and everyone had to apply online but now that the physical fairs are coming back, there is an interest to visit.

Though there are some who only attend online fairs. They say the heat, travel, and the crowds are a put-off and what is ‘told’ at the fairs is also on the college websites so, “why go to an event only to hear what we already know,” said one candidate. Another candidate said it is cheaper to attend an online fair. “One can attend so many and save time.”

I attended a UK virtual study fair recently, that was organised by Envision Overseas, on Friday which made me realise that despite challenges with internet connectivity, audibility, and other tech-related issues, most of the students knew exactly what they wanted to pursue. Students or rather aspirants are also seemingly more aware of which universities can cater to their needs. This was in stark contrast to what I observed with inperson study fairs, where students were still deciding on what choice to make concerning the programmes and universities that can suit them best.

A phenomenon such as this can only be explained by the short window provided by the organiser during virtual study fairs, wherein students only have a limited amount of time to discuss their queries. Yet, one must admit that offline university fairs, which are often conducted in high-end hotels or halls, still create a lot of excitement in people. Such study fairs though not always fruitful helps create connections as students can open up a lot more than they usually would in a virtual fair. Also, aspirants meet other aspirants and there is general talk about ‘what is new’ and of course, there are parents asking each other questions and also the organisers.

With more study fairs lined up in April-May 2022, I am eager to witness the attitudes and preferences of different students amid the resurgence of interest in studying abroad postCovid. Virtual or non-virtual, a new wave of universities from countries such as the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are competing among themselves to grab the coveted position of being a global hub in international education and Indian students are here to witness it.