Canada tops US as magnet for Indian students

COUNTRY REGISTERS 431% GROWTH IN ENROLLEES FROM 5 YEARS AGO

Canada saw a 431 per cent growth in international student enrollment from India in five years, increasing to 161,351 students from 2015 to 2020, says a joint report by the IC3 Movement and the International Institute of Education (IIE) titled “International Student Mobility Flows and Covid-19 Realities”.

The rapid growth in Canada is evident when compared with the United States. The United States also saw an increase in the total number of students from India.

However, the increase of 60,236 students only resulted in a 45 per cent growth, signalling that over the past five years, students from India enrolled at higher education institutions in Canada in greater numbers and at a much faster rate than in the US. In 2020, Canada surpassed the US and became the leading host of students from India pursuing higher education. The number of Indian students in the United States declined for the first time in seven years, decreasing by 4 per cent in 2019/2020.

Pandemic impact

The flow of international students crossing borders to pursue educational opportunities has been significantly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The joint paper by the Institute of International Education (IIE) and IC3 analyze significant international student mobility trends before the Covid-19 pandemic, the role of host countries in offering academic opportunities to international students, and the increased competitiveness among countries to attract international students. The report considers the effects of Covid-19 on global student mobility and how the pandemic has comparatively affected international students and the countries that serve as their hosts.

Vivek Mansukhani, Head, IIE India, said, “The challenges of the pandemic will create opportunities for a breakthrough in international education. Higher education institutions worldwide are working hard to provide options for international students, including hybrid instruction models and other options for study. Their efforts to support international students and maintain a welcome environment through increased communications, mental health and wellbeing services, financial support, and other actions will prove incredibly important in the years to come.”