Beyond the Usual Suspects

The usual options that present themselves while deciding to study abroad are US, UK, Canada and Australia. But with rising costs and stricter visa rules, Indian students are now choosing destinations beyond the Big Four. Ansh Patel investigates

France
Popular Courses: Liberal arts and humanities, fashion design, political studies, information technology, business and management

 

 

 

Pros:

• Cultural hub of Europe
• Offers the most variety in educational courses
• Mixed culture

Cons:

• Language issues – the French are known to favour speaking their own language over English
• Relatively costly
• Some industries have been affected by the Eurozone recession

General Fee Structure:

• Average annual tuition fee: Rs 28,000 (state universities), Rs 6.5 lakhs (grandes écoles – private institutes)
• Accommodation and cost of living:Rs 70,000 per month

Top Universities:
Ecole Normale Supérieure (Paris),
Ecole Polytechnique (Paris),
Universite Pierre et Marie Curie (Pari s)

Job Prospects:

• While the recession may have affected certain industries like manufacturing, others continue to prosper.
• In the fashion and luxury industries, France continues to dominate.
• It has a well-established IT and technology industry which continues offering opportunities to graduates.
• Liberal arts graduates can find employment as university lecturers, although learning French may be a prerequisite.
• France is a Eurozone member, so business graduates may find employment in any Eurozone country.

Student Opinion
“In my class alone, students represent close to 27 countries. Factor in the difference in culture, education style and overall lifestyle, you got yourself one of the most internationally diverse cohort of Master students.”
– Sreehari Edamana, Master in International Business, Grenoble Ecole de Management

Dubai
Popular Courses: Engineering (particularly civil, mineral and oil exploration), business administration, finance

 

 

Pros:

• Good job prospects
• Tax-free salary on employment
• Chance to interact with people from different cultures
• Large Indian diaspora can help avert homesickness

Cons:

• Considerably more expensive than others
• Students cannot work while studying, but the student visa can be turned into an employment visa on getting a job
• Once you get a job, you can’t switch to another in the same sector for two years

General Fee Structure:

• Average annual tuition fee: Rs 8.19 lakhs
• Accommodation and cost of living: Rs 65,000 per month

Top Universities: Dubai Men’s and Women’s Colleges, Zayed University, University of Wollongong in Dubai

Job Prospects:

• Despite the recession, the civil sector continues to thrive with architects being equally sought after.
• With major financial companies moving base to Dubai, prospects are bright for B-school students.
• Mineral and oil exploration and research continues to be the most sought-after field.

Student Opinion
“What’s great about studying here is that you meet a lot of people from different nationalities making it a great place for networking.”
– Samuel Varghese, BCommerce (Finance), University of  Wollongong in Dubai

China
Popular courses: Ecology, computer science, economics

 

 

 

 

Pros:

• Close proximity and similar cultural environment to India
• Cheap in terms of tuition fees, accommodation and cost of living Courses are more application oriented than our universities
• Employment opportunities galore as the job market is booming in China in almost every field

Cons:

• Food may be an issue for many
• Language issues as a majority of Chinese still cannot speak English fluently
• Some may have issues living under an authoritative government

General Fee Structure:

• Average annual tuition fee: Rs 1.75 lakhs
• Accommodation and cost of living: Rs 50,000 per month

Top Universities: Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University

Job Prospects:

• Engineering and medicine lead the field in terms of job prospects, although qualified English language lecturers are also highly sought after in China’s top universities.
• B-school graduates and financial accountants can find opportunities in major cities where the exponentially growing businesses have set their base.

Expert Opinion
“With a higher quality of graduate education at a cost similar to courses here, it’s no wonder students are flocking to China.”
– Kamlesh Sajnani,
Managing Director,
IMS Learning
Resources Pvt. Ltd.

New Zealand
Popular Courses: Marine engineering, medicine and healthcare

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pros:

• Safe environment to live and study
• Fairly cheap
• Additional 12 months to find a job after course completion

Cons:

• Isolated from the rest of the world
• Change in its visa application process makes it more arduous and time-consuming

General Fee Structure:

• Average annual tuition fee: Rs 7. 0 l a khs
• Accommodation and cost of living: `50,000 per month

Top Universities: University of Auckland, University of  Otogo, University of Canterbury

Job Prospects:  

• The economy primarily comes from maritime trade and agriculture, but its healthcare is well-regarded.
• Recent developments in the manufacturing and IT sector have opened up employment opportunities for engineers.

Student Opinion
“The best thing about studying in NZ is the country itself. Nice environs, great accessibility to extracurricular activities, no dangerous animals, etc and the people are warm, hardworking and simple, fair-minded folk.”
– Ishaan Kovoor, BE Mechatronics, University of Canterbury

Russia
Popular Courses: Medicine and healthcare

 

 

 

 

Pros:

• Globally recognised degrees with a high standard of teaching
• Affordable
• Courses are application-oriented

Cons:

• Prone to civil unrest
• Long winters can be harsh for Indians
• Most courses are taught in Russian in the first year, so the language must be learnt

General Fee Structure:

• Average annual tuition fee: Rs 2.8 lakhs
• Accommodation and cost of living: Rs 30,000 per month

Top Universities: Moscow Medical Academy, Russian State Medical University

Job Prospects:  

• Ample government research grants make Russia a good option for science students.
• Russian healthcare is known for its high quality and affordability, so the country is suitable for medical students an graduates.

Graduate Opinion
“Russia is very famous for its literature and students always find big libraries in whatever institute they are. The study atmosphere in those libraries is really amazing.”
– Dr Chandresh Sudani, post from
www.medwonders.com/medblogs

Volume 2 Issue 12