While China tops in sending students to the U.S. for higher studies, contributing nearly 25 per cent of students of international origin studying in the U.S. (according to the 2012 Open Doors Survey), India comes second at 13 per cent. But this figure has seen a slight decline of 3.5 per cent while the Chinese figures have clearly gone up by a large margin of 23.1 per cent.
The reasons for this decline could be many. But the Green Card and residency lure is a major factor that is still pulling students to the U.S. at a time when many other students are looking for emerging higher education destinations such as Dubai. Though the U.K. has also been preferred by students, they are now making choices of higher education based on whether they would land jobs in that country and the allied aspects of acceptance and diverse international presence.
Here is what students had to say when The Hindu EducationPlus asked them which country they would prefer to study in.
Niranjan Nair, third year Industrial Engineering and Management, M.V.J. College of Engineering, Bangalore
I would like to pursue my postgraduation in Dubai. I feel that Dubai is one country where the engineering profession is in high demand and I don’t feel that this demand is likely to decrease in the years to come. In India the value for engineers has drastically come down and it is a big challenge for freshers like me to find a suitable job. Dubai is a place where a graduate from a commerce background does not have to look back after completing the course as the whole country is set on business and industrialisation. My field has engineering blended with management. My field requires exposure from a country with a strong industry and management background and hence I feel that Dubai is best suited for the people like me. The only problem that I feel as a setback in Dubai is that outsiders would not get citizenship like in countries such as the U.S.
Dominic Jose, final year B.A.-LL.B., Christ College
For law students, the best place to pursue PG is London. The main reason is that the law that we study in India is the same as that of England. LL.M. from London is globally recognised and I feel that the chances of getting better exposure is huge in England. I would basically like to concentrate on corporate law. I also feel that scholarship is a big attraction there, so financial assistance means the students’ burden would be less. If I complete my PG there, I would be considered as a promising lawyer in India due to the exposure I get.
Nirma Babypeter, first year BDS, R.V. Dental College, Bangalore
After completing my UG, I would prefer to go to U.S. as the medical field and its corresponding research field is given high prominence there. If I complete my PG here in India and then go to the U.S. for work, it would be a herculean task for me. I would have to write the exam again there and I must qualify in it to continue my profession. But if I go there to pursue my PG, then there is no question of taking the exam.
And if am lucky, I could get a Green Card. If one is interested in research I don’t feel that India can give that person a full-fledged exposure that the person needs to have. Most importantly we would be part of the big cultural diffusion that is even now being witnessed in America.
Ashwathy Nambiar, third year B.A. Journalism, Jain College, Bangalore
I would prefer to go to Australia after completing my graduation. Australia is a free country when you compare it with other European countries and though media is not adventurous, like in India, I feel that the whole atmosphere there is completely welcoming for the outsiders. I think a media student must be exposed to multi-culture scenarios. Journalism is a field where one has to grasp and learn almost anything and everything under the sun. In that case, only a big exposure can ensure an attitudinal change among the media students.
If I pursue my PG there, then I can easily get a work permit, which would allow me to work freely. It’s always better to do PG abroad if one is interested in working there. The two years of PG will help a person to understand the country and its ways easily rather than just coming straight for employment.
Ashwini V. Mohan, graduate in B.Sc. Genetics
There is a wrong notion among the people that India does not give the amount of exposure required for a person. I feel that the amount of freedom and exposure that we get in India would be hard to find elsewhere. In other countries, we would not have the freedom to do our things in a way we wish. The quality of education that we get in India is far better than what we get in any other country. That is why Indians are considered as the most intelligent people in the world. As far as I am concerned, India is one of the best places to live and study.
We are valued more in our country than abroad. Whether you get the residence visa or not, you are still considered as a foreigner in other countries. And the amount of independence that one gets in foreign country is limited. Thus I feel that India is better and there is no need to fly away from our home for better living and comfort.
