Students pick exotic overseas countries to pursue higher education

It is that time of the year again. While on one hand the board results have already been announced, on the other, students are up and about in their scramble to get the best seat in colleges and universities of their choice and Tamil Nadu is no exception.

The craze for pursuing higher education abroad has almost become a trend in the state with the number of students opting for courses UG or PG courses abroad increasing over the years. Experts and academicians

DT Next spoke to said it is unfortunate that a majority of students and even parents in Tamil Nadu feel there is no future in the country. Hence they condition their children into believing that the best option for better academics lies in other Asian or European countries.

“There are more than 20 countries which have over 1,000 universities, offering 30,000 courses for students from here,” K Sampath, a leading student counsellor in the city, said. Stating that there are different opinions on which is the cheapest country to study abroad for Indian students, he added that students can either opt for scholarship or spend from their own pocket.

“International scholarships for Indian students are offered by many governments, organisations and also by specific universities,” Sampath noted. “There are two categories of student groups desperate to study in foreign countries. One group is very serious regarding their higher education and career options and the other just wants to travel abroad for the fun of it and take up courses easily available in India,” he said.

Sampath further said there are no official statistics available on the success rate of students going abroad for studies. Also, accurate calculations on the number of them going abroad was very difficult since most the embassy do not reveal students’ visa list. “The approximate calculations are based on data given by agencies sending such students outside the country,” he added.

However, more than four lakh students across the country go abroad and the numbers only seem to be spiralling upwards. Of the total, 30,000 from Tamil Nadu opt for studies abroad, Sampath said.

Meanwhile, students seem quite excited about the prospects of taking up higher studies in a foreign land. “I will pursue my UG multi-media course in Taiwan. Admission formalities are almost over through an agency. One of my friends is studying the same course there,” K Anandan, a Class 12 student who secured 85% in the board exams, said.

Anandan said the prospect of travelling to Taiwan, one of his favourite places, appealed to him more than the course itself. “It is a nice place to live in. Moreover, the course fees are less compared to that in other countries. I can also earn while studying there,” he added. R Anuradha, Director of Japanese Official Language School, ABK-AOTS Dosokai, Tamil Nadu Centre, said, taking up engineering courses has become a common trend. “Lakhs of engineering students qualify every year. However, job opportunities are few. The trick lies in getting your resume perfect,” she said.

Anuradha, who also imparts Japanese language training to students, said though there are many high-level courses available in TN colleges/institutions providing training only in the English language is not enough. “Students who learn a foreign language for further studies or jobs can expect better income.” “The country has seen a sudden spurt in the field of visual media in the past couple of years. Roughly there is about a 10 to 15 per cent increase in the number of students going to the US, the UK and Australia and even Asian countries to pursue higher studies in visual media,” S Prakash, a visual media trainer from a private college in the city, said.

He pointed out that courses in visual media, including animation, graphics and film making have become hot favourites among students across the country.

“Most students want to go abroad to study visual media mainly due to the high-end technology and global recognition of the foreign universities, something yet to be conceived in India,” he added.

Prakash also said that students are interested in Nanotechnology, Robotics training, Astro Physics and Astronomy in the US, the UK, Europe, Canada, Singapore and Australia. “Very few universities/colleges teach these courses in India,” he said.”

A student from Tamil Nadu, R Suresh Kumar, who finished his UG in visual communications from Chennai and underwent a PG course abroad, said studying outside the country has boosted his confidence and he now plans to start his own centre. “Right now I am working on short films and working part time in a private college,” Kumar added.