Research opportunities bountiful for Indian students in Canada Canada offers bountiful research opportunities for students from India, apart from being a much preferred destination for higher studies. Most of the Canadian students prefer to take up jobs after graduation. Hence, universities in the country are wooing foreign students for postgraduate (PG) or doctoral studies to boost their research activities. Most universities in Canada are research-intensive with advanced infrastructural facilities. However, they do not have the required number of students, according to officials of the University of Saskatchewan. In fact the university needs to attract more meritorious PG and doctoral students for programs in domains such as Agriculture, Public Health, Energy and Mineral Resources, Synchrotron Sciences and Water Security, etc. Since a majority of Canadian students leave studies after graduation, foreign students form around 40% of the overall student population at the PG level in the university. Indian student numbers are second only to students from China. However, the need for students in Canada at the undergraduate (UG) level is not that acute. There are fewer universities and seats in India compared to the demand due to a large population of students. Moreover, facilities too are often inadequate. Canada has a reverse situation, which creates a lot of opportunities for students from India. Such a situation can benefit both the countries, as Canada is in need of more Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) students while Indian higher education institutes such as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) require PhDs as faculty members. As per University of Guelph officials, the dearth of students for PhD as well as Master’s programs has compelled Canadian universities to consider reduction of the duration of their master’s degree programs from two years to just one year. The universities are also mulling delivering a five-year integrated program which includes graduation, PG and a PhD. University officials also stated that the higher tuition fee for international students is not a deterrent for Indian students who want to pursue PG or doctoral programs in Canada. Foreign students are offered abundant stipends as well as Scholarships which cover their tuition fee and living expenses. Moreover, the tuition fee is lower compared to that of countries including the United States (US). Besides these facilities, Indian students can also take up summer jobs during their vacations and can work for a maximum of 20 hours per week at minimum salary of 10.5 Canadian dollars for each hour, according to Indian students pursuing PhD in Canada. Although students go to Canada on student visa, they can work for three years after they complete their PG studies. After that, they can apply for residency permit based on their job. Once they acquire a residency permit, their tuition fee becomes similar to local students. According to reports, Indian students constitute the second largest populace of international students in Canada, which has witnessed four-fold increase from 2008. Canadian educational institutions have signed over 400 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Indian educational institutes. Canada’s revenue from international students is valued at over $6 billion at present.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 12:07:32 +0000
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