Foreign university campuses in India will not affect students going abroad

STUDY ABROAD

The decision to allow top universities like Oxford and Cambridge from the UK and the ivy league from the US to open their campuses in India is a welcome move. More options for our students, an opportunity to avail of a degree from a renowned university at an affordable cost, proximity to one’s family, better quality education and student services offered by Indian universities to be able to survive in a competitive environment are the positives.

Does this mean that we will see a fall in the number of students going abroad? Certainly not. Students who aspire to go abroad do so not because they are unhappy with the quality of education in Indian universities but more to experience life in a new country, meet students from different cultures, learn to live on their own and be responsible and independent, travel to new places and survive in a global environment.

With these top universities opening their campuses in India, we will see many foreign students choosing the Indian campuses making India a melting pot of a vibrant student community from across the world.

The lure of foreign varsities

Getting admission into a good Indian university is still a challenge with a cut-off percentage as an entry requirement and a vast number of applicants.

Foreign universities offer pathways or foundation programmes for students who don’t meet direct entry requirements. For instance, if a student does not get good grades to get into a university, many of the top universities in the UK, New Zealand and Australia offer pathway programmes where a student does not have to study an extra year. The foundation programme will allow the student to progress to year two of their Bachelor’s degree. So without wasting a year, the student is able to move on.

Many universities in the UK, Germany, the US and Canada offer integrated programmes with a placement year. These are referred to as coop programs, sandwich courses or vocational courses. Tuition fee is generally charged only for the years of study and the placement year is mostly a paid internship.

Most international students get some kind of financial aid either in the form of merit-based or need-based scholarships, research assistantships, teacher assistantships, on-campus jobs etc. Assessments in most of the universities abroad are not limited to examinations. They are a combination of assignments, tests, individual and group work, projects and presentations.

Students can decide if they will attend the morning, afternoon or evening sessions of class. Ample time is given to students for self-study and research. Classes are held only three to four days a week. This is again a choice given to the students. They pick the days they want to attend class. This flexibility allows our students to manage their time wisely.

The option of a major and minor offered in US universities is another attraction. For example, while pursuing a Bachelor’s in Physics, you can do a minor in music or art.

Many countries allow students to work part-time on their student visa and once they complete their studies, they are allowed to stay back and work in the country for two-three years. This gives students much sought-after work experience in an international setting.

Courses like art and design, filmmaking, music, dance, drama, sports management, sustainable development, and equestrian science are offered only by a few institutions or none in India while they are hugely popular abroad.

Hopefully, with more universities coming into our country, we can look forward to healthy competition among educational institutions which could be in the best interest of students.

(The author is an academic counsellor)

Email your queries on studying abroad to [e-mail] with 'Study Abraod' in the subject line