INDIA FROM SOUTH INDIA MOST OF THE STUDENTS LOOKING TO STUDY IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES HAVE THEIR FIRST CHOICE NOW FOR CANADA NEW ZEALAND AND MALAYSIA WITH USA UK AUSTRALIA ARE NO LONGER POPULAR WITH THEM MADURAI: There is a spurt in the number of students seeking education opportunities abroad, said professional consultants. More and more students from Madurai and southern region are holding enquiries about the right courses and countries. Canada, New Zealand and Malaysia top the likely destination list of students planning higher education abroad. The US, Australia and the UK are no longer popular among students, education consultants noted. Shweta Martin, managing director of Dave Consultancy, said there is considerable rise in enquiries for overseas courses. The number of students showing interest in overseas programmes is increasing. The number of enquiries is far higher this year compared to the last five years. In fact, it is a two-fold increase over last year, she noted. Australia, the UK and Singapore are second choice for students. Overall cost and citizenship prospects determine students preference and decision. Countries which provide stay-back options and are easier to get permanent residency are the choice of students. New Zealand and Canada are the most preferred destinations due to the stay-back option, said A Aladi Arun, chief executive of A K Consultants. Like engineering students, those from arts and science streams also show equal interest in study abroad programmes. They mainly focus on research activities. Exposure and opportunity to undertake specialized studies prompt students to study abroad, education consultants said. A majority of students who attend the orientation programmes are post graduates looking for specializations. Comparatively, fewer students prefer foreign countries for under-graduation. Students opt for PG programmes as the course duration is just one or two years, said a manager Raksam Study Abroad, a consultancy. Most students prefer specialized courses related to electromagnets, sports management, telecommunication and power engineering. However, management courses have not lost their sheen as students, especially engineers, prefer to pursue them abroad. There are good management institutions in India but students prefer foreign institutes for global exposure, Shweta remarked. Students from Madurai and other southern districts are keen to go abroad for studies. Students have clear ideas about the course and the country of study. They ask for clear-cut information, consultants said.
Posted on: Sun, 01 Jun 2014 04:03:10 +0000