India is the world’s second-largest source of international students and one of the fastest growing sending markets. According to global reports, the number of Indian enrolments
abroad is the second highest only after China.
Immigration policy and post study work options are one of the major factors influencing
student’s enrolment abroad. Over the past years, there has been rapid changes in the
student outflow from India to major study destinations like the United Kingdom (UK) and
the United States of America (USA). The United States of America no longer seems to be the
dream destination. The UK attracts thousands of students and researchers every year, from
India. It is ranked second in the world for science and research, and 54 per cent of its output
is defined as world-leading higher than the US, Canada, Germany, Japan and Brazil. As per a
report, the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) field draws the maximum
number of Indian students to study in the UK. There has been a steady upward rise in STEM
becoming the preferred option among student communities in India for which they seek
global exposure albeit limited options to pursue ground-breaking research back home.
Besides the popular and conventional courses, emerging technologies have been gaining
popularity, many UK universities have renewed their offering and now include special
courses in advanced fields such Artificial Intelligence, robotics, block chain and data science.
Many UK universities are designing courses to skill students in Big Data.
Each year, the UK draws a high number of students from all over the world. Going by recent
trends, many Indian students’ study at institutions like University of Oxford, University of
Cambridge, Manchester University, The UK still holds the helm of being one of the most
outstanding and popular country in the European Continent. The UK has several distinct
advantages for international students that stand out for prospective students.
1) The UK has a course structure similar to its Indian counterparts: The UK
undergraduate degree is a 3 yearlong affair wherein you study the subject of your
choosing at the time of your admission as compared to the US where you have to
study for 4 years but also have a time to declare your major area of study.
2) The UK distinctly offers a 2-year post study work visa which is a major drawing point,
the British administration values their international students and they have made
that very clear with the recent policy change.
3) Access to wold renowned universities’: United Kingdom boasts of several world class
institutions of higher education which offer a once in a lifetime opportunity for a
student to witness the joy of a subject. The sheer fact that the students get access to
world class professors and motivated peers is reason enough to feel joyous.
4) Plenty of scholarship opportunities are available for students who are really
interested in the programmes and have sufficient reason to need the scholarship.
Some scholarships include the Inlaks Scholarship offered by the Inlaks Foundation &
the Chevening Scholarship programme. It is the best study abroad option available for Indian students considering the quality and
ease of student life due to low language barriers. All these reasons make it clear that the UK
can never be a wrong decision for the motivated student, it offers a plethora of
opportunities for students to discover and reboot themselves, it changes mindsets and
shapes careers, the experience is simply life altering.