Indian students have reached greener pastures, quite literally, in their pursuit for newer options for higher education. Ireland, with its picturesque villages, vibrant cities and the tag of being one of the friendliest countries in the world, has managed to convince a growing number of students in India that the grass is indeed greener on the other side.
Small country it maybe, but some aggressive marketing and promotional efforts have earned Ireland a sizeable population of Indian students in most of its well-known universities. Education in Ireland (the government organisation responsible for the development of Ireland's higher education sector in world markets) said there were over 23,000 international students enrolled in publicly funded institutions in Ireland in the academic year 2013-14.
This is said to be an increase of over 60 per cent compared with the figures in 2009-10. The highest number of international students in Ireland comes from six key places — India, China, U.S., Brazil, Malaysia and the Gulf. Indian students are heading to Irish universities mainly to study subjects such as computer science, business analytics, engineering, pharmacy, business, accounting and hospitality management.
Growing interest“The number of Indian students studying in Ireland has risen particularly in the last five years due to an increased awareness of Ireland, its culture and the strong post study employment opportunities,” said Education in Ireland representatives.
The Indian students studying in Ireland, that The Hindu came across during a recent FAM trip to some Irish universities, seemed to agree. There were some pertinent points they put forth while explaining the reason behind their choosing Ireland over traditionally popular countries such as the U.S. and the U.K. And some of them had made their decision to go overseas pretty young.
Anchal Jain, who is in her first year of medicine at Trinity College Dublin, for instance, chose to head to Ireland as there was no entrance exam. Back home, she would have written a slew of them. Another undergraduate student, Siddharth Hitkari, studying business, economics and social studies, said the next thing on his mind is getting an MBA, and going abroad before that “made sense.” Una Condron, Senior International Recruitment Manager (Asia), University College Dublin (UCD), said that Indian parents look at three aspects while sending their children abroad to study: safety, cost and the standard of living.
Various choicesWhile varsities such as Dublin Business School, UCD, Dublin City University, Dublin Institute of Technology and National College of Ireland have their perks for being located in Dublin, those in other parts of Ireland, too, get their share of Indian students for different reasons. John Joe O’Farrell from the International Office of Waterford Institute of Technology, for instance, points out the lower cost of living in Waterford compared with Dublin, especially when it comes to accommodation.
Maynooth University, at the same time, touts its proximity to Dublin as one of the advantages, while still being away from the city. The wide range of courses too, such as at the National University of Galway, is a big draw for Indian students, along with the option of gaining professional experience. For instance, the University of Limerick offers a master’s programme in nursing studies wherein students can work part-time in a nursing home.
On the other hand, professors at the University College Cork point out how by being part of the European Union, students choosing to study in Ireland have the advantage of getting more opportunities to work.
The author was on a media familiarisation trip to Ireland.
