In a bid to enhance cultural diversity and bolster its higher education sector, Kerala is set to launch the ‘Study in Kerala’ programme aimed at attracting international students to its colleges and universities.
The initiative comes in response to the State’s underwhelming performance in hosting foreign students compared to its neighbours, despite Kerala’s potential advantages.
The government has granted in-principle sanction to implement the initiative mooted by the Kerala State Higher Education Council to improve campus diversity and equip its students “to work in a global society”.
Recognising the need to attract international students to fuel the State’s aspirations of realising a knowledge society, the Commission for Reforms in Higher Education, chaired by Shyam B. Menon, has highlighted the need to promote inward mobility of foreign students to enhance the educational landscape.
According to the latest All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), only 266 international students had enrolled in Kerala’s institutions during the 2020-21 academic year. This figure is significantly low compared to States such as Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, which hosted 8,137 and 3,685 foreign students, respectively. Even in 2019-20, Kerala’s share was modest at 302 students.
The ‘Study in Kerala’ programme will be rolled out in two phases. The first phase will focus on attracting international students for short-term programmes. It has been proposed to offer innovative two-week to one-month academic courses, complemented by cultural immersion activities. These short-term programmes, which may or may not include academic credits, will be designed to enable host institutions to charge reasonable fees for their services.
The second phase will target international students for full-time programmes offered by select universities and colleges. Strategies will be tailored to specific regions such as Africa and South Asia to attract self-funded students to longer courses.
The council may spearhead the implementation of this programme. Its expected responsibilities will include promoting Kerala as an attractive destination, managing an online platform for applications, and developing targeted promotional strategies. It will also collaborate closely with institutions across the State to ensure they are prepared to host international students and meet their needs effectively, say official sources.
