Study abroad: Navigating policy roadblocks

Rohit Sethi

Birds flock where there are ample grains to eat. This rule applies clearly to aspiring international students and where they will head to fulfil their study abroad dreams. That said, it is up to the big countries how they handle the education export market. We have already discussed the contribution made by international students to Australia, the UK, and other economies.

Economists and analysts of these developed nations have a unanimous opinion that exporting education is one big industry. The facilities enjoyed by the local students and the businesses enjoyed by small companies will cease to exist if the flow of international students is clamped down.

Options galore for international students

The world’s top-ranked universities need international students and business houses who appreciate their contribution. This means there will always be a welcoming ground for international students. Policies make it difficult to reach the destination, and it becomes important to tread carefully without making any mistakes. To find out more about immigrating to your dream country, contact immigration consultants in Chandigarh.

In our opinion, there is a need to discuss further on this topic and in place of making policies to reduce immigrant intake, political leaders should take a stand in favour of immigrants. They should take responsibility for showing the local public the benefits that are being brought in by foreigners coming on their land.

Stricter rules pose a challenge

There will always be a need among students to study at a good place, develop a strong career and make a prosperous life for themselves. It seems that authorities of developed economies have lost sight of the real problem, for the problem is not with international students or immigrants, but with who is more attractive than the other in exporting education.

Canada placed a student cap, Australia is on new migration measures, and the UK is trying to imitate them. Since there is always a desire to study at a good university, this clan of people are steering towards Ireland, Germany, Italy and France. Not to be left behind the USA, is an all-time favourite for international students.

At some public institutions in Germany, there are zero tuition fees even for international students, Italy and France are also quite economical. Plus, these European countries offer easy paths to work and settle there permanently. Find out how you can apply for a study visa for these countries, and talk to overseas education consultants.

UK varsities brace for declining enrolment

Universities in the UK are finding it difficult to stay competitive and prove themselves a better option than their counterparts from other countries. It is because of the uncertainties created by some policies proposed by the government. It is speculated that the government may change or withdraw the graduate visa, resulting in a 40 per cent reduction in international postgraduate enrolment for the January 2024 intake.

Plus, if you are coming to the UK to study and not pursuing postgraduate programmes then you will have to come alone. This is nothing but discouragement and policymakers are successful in achieving their aim of reducing international student intake. They fail to understand that the loss of some means victory for the other, and most likely the UK will lose business to its neighbouring countries, like Germany, Italy and France.

Creating awareness, winning public sentiment

Apathy against international students is primarily because the general public is unaware of the contribution of international students. A new survey showed that just 3 per cent of adults surveyed out of a total of 3,000 correctly answered the economic impact of international students. The majority of them are of the view that it is above £10bn, but in actuality, it is around £42bn.

The need of the hour is to create awareness of the positive economic impact brought in by international students. When the general public will not have any problem with students coming from across national borders then policy-makers will not have to frame policies to reduce their intake.

The writer is Director at ESS Global, Chandigarh