The recent pandemic has created chaos all across the globe. It has given rise to monetary problems in almost every sector, including the academic sector. Yet, although the pandemic has adjourned the foreign education dreams of several foreign students, it has not suppressed them completely.
Thankfully, the vaccination drives in every country are helping to bring things back to normal slowly and steadily. The campaign is also helping Indian students relive their dream of getting a foreign degree. According to a recent survey, more than half of the Indian student population (64%) wish to study abroad. Their primary destinations include Canada and the US.
The survey made further revelations. It said that 79% of Indian students firmly believe that getting a foreign degree will strengthen their possibility of getting a job. The reason is a strong possibility of acceptance in different popular organizations.
The current environment of online education is taking its toll on the minds of students. Close to 71% of them favor the idea of face-to-face learning as opposed to online learning. Most of the respondents to the survey also prefer cross-cultural learning.
The survey also said that, according to almost 41% of counsellors and 57% of students, the dream of studying abroad crushes due to financial restraints. Just above 60% said that they have to apply for an education loan to cover the expenses of foreign education.
According to Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, the top-most priority is being given to easing the foreign travel of all Indian students who have got admission to a foreign university for higher studies. He also said that taming the hindrances in the path of Indian students willing to study abroad is of utmost importance. According to Shringla, these students act as bridges between India and other countries.
Shringla said that India is in close talks with the US administration about the smooth passage of Indian students to the US. The concern about travel restrictions has reached the ministerial level both in the US and Canada. He confirmed that the US Embassy is issuing student visas to Indian students.
Canada Witnesses a Sudden Rise in the Number of Indian Students
The first four months saw almost 67,000 Indian students receiving approval to study at Canadian colleges and universities this year. This number is 83% higher than the total number of Indian students last year.
In addition, the approval rates for the Canadian study permit rose to 74% for Canada-bound Indian students. This is in comparison to a mere 49% last year. To keep it short, Canada gave around 3 in 4 Indian-students approval for a study permit. This is during the first 4 months of this year. This ratio is higher than 1 in 2 last year and 2 in 3 from 2016 to 2019.
In 2019, there were around 175,000 Canadian study permit applications from Indian students. This number was an all-time high. This represented a more than 170% rise in barely 3 years. However, due to the global pandemic, this number went down to just over 75,000 applications in 2020.
Thankfully, the first 4 months of this year saw an aggressive climb in this number. Keeping this data in mind, it will not be wrong to say that the number of study permit approvals this year will surpass 2019.
For Indian post-secondary students seeking admission to foreign colleges and universities, the top 3 highly popular education streams include:
- Business and Commerce — 22%
- Computing and IT — 20%
- Business, Management, and marketing — 15%
These are according to the Canadian study permits issued in 2020. These 3 streams were also at the top in 2019.
Due to the travel restrictions caused by the worldwide pandemic, most higher education institutions have switched to remote-learning opportunities. As a result, these institutions also had to adopt more flexible teaching styles for their students.
Ireland Has Opened Its Doors to Foreign Students
Ireland has opened its doors to global students. The country recently took this decision. Ireland is proud to have a long-standing reputation in the field of academic excellence. It is also the home to some of the best and greatest minds. The last few decades have seen a rise in the popularity of Ireland as a global education destination.
Due to the rising popularity of Ireland as a favorable education destination, the number of Indian students applying to their colleges and universities has seen growth in recent times. As a result, many students have completed their education and secured great employment opportunities in different industries in Ireland and other countries.
The small island nation of Ireland has some of the best opportunities for global students. There are 30 educational institutions in Ireland providing higher study options. The country also offers more than 5,000 programs that help students achieve internationally recognized qualifications and degrees. The universities in Ireland also rank amongst the top 5% of all the universities in the world.
The cost of education in Ireland is also relatively cost-effective. It is pretty affordable in comparison to most other educational destinations in the world. There are several education funding options available in Ireland for global students. These funding options are available for both undergraduate and post-graduate programs. Numerous scholarship options are also available from various sources, such as Irish higher education institutions, the Government of Ireland, and other organizations.