The world of international education is witnessing a greater shift and Indian students are therefore now planning to go beyond traditional study-abroad destinations such as the US and Canada. This transformation is driven by a couple of factors, including revised policies at traditional destinations and the surfacing of new options to study abroad.
While the US and the UK have long been major attractions for Indian students planning to study at world-class institutions, the current trend is changing. The global education sector is getting more dynamic, with emerging study-abroad destinations giving international students many reasons to study at new destinations.
Germany, Australia and New Zealand are turning out to be key alternative destinations. These nations offer high educational standards, friendly immigration policies and exciting opportunities to obtain work experience after graduation. Moreover, several universities offer their programmes in English to Indian students. The comparatively lower fee to favourites countries like the US further adds to the advantages.
Germany, for example, is an emerging destination due to its brilliant Engineering and Technology programmes and many of these programmes can be pursued with free tuition at public universities. Australia and New Zealand invite international students due to their wonderful quality of life, friendly student communities and excellent support systems for international students.
This wider choice in study-abroad destinations demonstrates the increasing awareness of Indian students to discover new countries to meet their academic goals.
Canada, once a preferred option for Indian students due to its immigration-friendly policies, quality education and friendly society, has revised its policy for graduate work permit programmes that are unfavourable for international students. The revision in the cost-of-living financial requirement has also affected the study-abroad decision of international students.
Emerging destinations to study abroad
However, the world today offers a lot of new alternatives for Indian students planning to pursue quality international education as well as promising post-study work opportunities. Some of those countries are:
France: Preferred for excellence in fashion, culinary arts and business studies, France is consistently drawing international students.
Ireland: With a thriving tech sector and a government focus on high international student enrollment, Ireland will soon become a great study-abroad hub. The nation boasts many global tech giants that offer loads of opportunities for students in the fields of IT, pharmaceuticals and finance.
Netherlands: Apart from its picturesque countryside, the Netherlands is renowned for its modern education system and a wide range of programmes being taught in English.
Singapore: An established study-abroad destination in Southeast Asia, Singapore is a modern hub of technology and business. With prominent universities like the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore has emerged as a preferred country in international education.