Mumbai: Universities from US, Australia, Europe offer education and more

Mumbai: In a bid to encourage students from all age groups to study abroad, DY Patil International School, Worli hosted the DYPIS Career Fair 2022 in Mumbai.

More than 40 universities from countries like the US, UK, Australia, Italy, Canada, New Zealand, France, etc, made their way to the city in order to pitch what they have to offer in terms of academics, extracurricular activities, employment prospects, and much more.

Non-English speaking European countries eye India

With study fairs being commonplace due to the ever-increasing demand for international education, some institutions are doing things outside the norm. “We are offering students a four-year-Bachelor programme in Business Administration(BBA) courses compared to the three-year ones that are offered in the same. We are also providing options to students, which includes Business Management and Global Business, and providing them the chance to study at Edhec Business School, UCLA Extension, and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore,” said Nilesh Gaikwad, the Country Manager for Edhec Business School, a B school based out of France. “Edhec is among the top 5 in finance specialisation, while being no. 1 in BBA in France. We have around 200 Indian students arriving on the campus every year, and the numbers are only expected to grow,” added Gaikwad.

Other institutes such as Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, also known as NABA, is a private academy of fine art in one of the key fashion capitals of the world, Milan. With a growing interest in style and fashion spreading across India, the institute aims to make the best of the momentum by translating the interest into a lifestyle. “India itself has a culture of design and art that has been a part of the country’s history for centuries. With courses such as Fashion, Design, Graphic Design, students will get the best of both worlds wherein they can understand Italian culture as well,” stated a recruitment officer, representing NABA in India, who added that approximately 500 Indian students are studying at the institute.

US institutions aim to maintain their position as international education leaders

While universities from France and Italy with their growing popularity among Indian students stood out for their programmes in Business and Fashion respectively, the global leader in international education USA was not far behind in its institutions grabbing the attention of students. “The interest for admissions in US universities has not waned due to the simple fact that it provides multiple opportunities in the fields of Sciences, Technology, Maths, Astronomy, etc. Our University has also participated in ventures supported by NASA which makes it pretty unique to study here and make use of the facilities,” said Apurva Salvi, Regional Director, Global Recruitment, South Asia, University of Arizona. The University of Arizona, a public land grant research university, is also part of the coveted Association of American Universities and the Universities Research Association.

Other favourites UK, Australia bank on work opportunities, facilities

Representatives from other Anglosphere nations, Australia, and the UK are also capitalising on the renewed interest in India post-Covid. Down Under, the introduction of post-study work rights for international students by two years has made many Indian students look towards Oceania’s largest country. “India and Australia’s growing economic relationship has definitely brought us on the market to be a primary study destination for Indian students. With students from China dwindling post-Covid, India has turned out to be a standout country. The Australian Education Ministry’s announcement that post-study work rights will be increased from two years to four years for select bachelor's degrees; three years to five years for select master's degrees; and four years to six years for select PhDs has also enabled us to explore employability opportunities for Indian students,” said Ritu Kadian, Country officer (India), University of Melbourne, who further stated that the institution is ranked no.8 in employability.

The United Kingdom’s University of Essex, one of the country’s original plate glass universities which refers to a group of universities in the UK established or promoted to university status in the 1960s, also appealed to its students in various aspects, including restaurants, arcades, and cinema halls situated inside the campus. “We have over 21 academic departments, which include Psychology, Acting schools, etc. We provide our students with in-house counselling facilities since they feel homesick. We have Marshalls on the campus to provide them with the safest environment. Labs are open for everyone 24x7 which is a huge relief when you are working on your own research,” stated Priya Gidwani, Recruitment Advisor, University of Essex. Gidwani further suggested students avail the University’s campus accommodation as they will be able to avail of most services that otherwise would cost them a lot more as international students. With Queen Elizabeth’s passing putting the UK to a halt, Gidwani said that the University is observing the mourning period with the rest of the country, while also following the protocols related to bank holidays.

Universities of out-of-the-box programmes to attract students

Not all universities can claim to be the first institution chartered by an act of US congress, which is what the Ohio University in Athens, Ohio can do. “Ohio University exemplifies what still makes the US, the most popular study destination for students worldwide. In a long list of such institutions, Ohio University also ranks itself among the Tier 1 research institutions in the States. We offer over 250 programmes, with undecided students also having an opportunity to enrol in the University,” said the India representative for the Ohio University, who added that the institution has also introduced an honours tutorial programme which gives prospective students a chance to interact with faculty members about their programme choices. Students who will avail of the programme can also benefit from up to $20,000 in scholarships associated with the same. “We recently admitted our first Indian student in December 2021, which signifies that we are moving towards a diverse cohort at the campus and a low cost of living compared to the rest of the US certainly helps,” added the representative.

With 400-500 students present at the DYPIS Career Fair 2022, Dr. Ajeenkya D Y Patil, President, remarked that Indian students are increasingly looking at attaining global working skills and exposure ahead of starting their professional journey which is why DYPIS aimed at bringing the globally recognized, quality education providing domestic and international institutes under one roof.

The IBDP students of D Y Patil International School, Worli moderated the Panel Discussion ‘India as an Emerging Superpower’ which marked the presence of Dr. Ajeenkya D Y Patil (Chairman, D Y Patil Group, Chancellor of Ajeenkya D Y Patil University, and Pro-chancellor of Dr. D. Y. Patil University), Dr. Pratibha Jain (Founder, Eduabroad Consulting), Dr. Awanti Golwilkar-Mehendale (Founder, A.G Diagnostics Pvt. Ltd.), Mr. Arun Tiwari (Chairman, IndusInd Bank Ltd) and Mr. Sandeep Ghosh (Group Country Manager- India & South Asia, Visa). The panelists spoke about how digitization has led to the creation of more jobs and has aided the country’s economy to thrive, hence paving its way to becoming an emerging superpower, among other things.