International students, both existing and prospective, are impacted by the shift in global student mobility. Governments have gone back to their pre-pandemic ways, prioritizing quality and making sure that students travel overseas to pursue legitimate educational objectives. By connecting study abroad experiences with important professional and life goals, this approach seeks to improve the study abroad experience.
Not only are international education regulations shifting between countries, but global universities are also creating novel curricula. In the competitive world of post-study job opportunities, getting admission into the right course at the right university is likewise becoming more difficult.
Charlton D’Silva, CEO of Publisher’s Internationalé, the parent company of Gradstar Global in an exclusive conversation with Financial Express Online, examines the changing circumstances for overseas students and the approach they should take moving forward.
How are recent visa changes impacting global student mobility, especially for Indian students?
Global student mobility has been impacted in two ways. Students looking to study abroad as well as students already abroad who are looking at their next career and life
There was a sharp increase in the number of students pursuing international education between 2018 and 2023. Economic growth in India
We are now seeing a re-balance of quality with opportunity which will in the end help the student cohort. We believe that the right education builds better lives and a better world. Counselling plays the most important role in this by helping students pivot their interests, passion and aptitude for the right course or degree.
Countries are working towards a sustainable approach after calibrating immigration policy, accommodation, genuine students, inflation and availability of seats at Universities.
How can students decide between the US, UK, Canada, and Australia for higher education considering factors like course offerings, employability, cost, and career prospects?
Students must follow their passion and aptitude. A significant amount of counselling focuses on helping find their goals and matching this with the best possible course for them towards a career through better education. When a student is clear on the balance passion with aptitude – we help them select the right course, university and destination that will enable success in their chosen career path.
We aim to support students in following a rewarding academic and professional route by getting to know their goals and passions independent of influences like familial expectations or societal norms. The mental health
From 2023 April to April 2024, what major changes are being witnessed in the education abroad sector?
The world has emerged boldly from the covid years. Government policy has shifted to accommodate this. There is a whole swathe of new areas for education that have yet to be defined completely. For example, we are seeing global governance on matters of the environment, AI, Cyber security, personal identity and war.
This will lead to rethinking even traditional courses like accounting and legal. India has been a net provider of educated talent to the world and these trends are significant for what students study. In addition, the booming Indian economy
What’s the role of counsellors in guiding students and facilitating international student mobility?
Counsellors are the critical first contact in helping a student understand what they want to study, where might be the best placed to study this and what post study careers await them, anywhere in the world. This is no easy task. The student and counsellor form an enduring bond, a partnership, towards shared success.
Counsellors focus on the balance of a student’s interests with aptitude, ensuring that they are placed in the right course and with right university. For any student aspiring to study abroad, the biggest challenge is finding a counsellor who is genuinely committed to understanding their needs and giving flight to their ambition.
A proficient counsellor should do more than just advise on courses and careers; they should actively guide, shape and nurture the journey. They need to convey the students aspirations to the university and ensure that the student complies with the visa rules for acceptance.
There are perils along this path and the counsellor must draw the best out of their organisation for student’s good. Purpose before profit.
Counsellors are data-saturated, overburdened by information and do not necessarily have the right tools to match students to courses. To address this, we developed an AI-powered search engine to give counsellors real-time, at-the-fingertip assistance in a structured and unified way.
This assists our counsellors anywhere in recommending the best course option for each student. We streamlines the process, allowing the counsellors to quickly assess and match students with suitable courses, considering factors like their interests and career objectives. This tool is especially valuable considering the vast number of course options available, providing counsellors with the necessary resources to effectively guide students through their educational choices.
What’s your take on the rising demand for futuristic courses like Climate Change studies and Sustainability in higher education?
Global governance on issues like climate change, AI, power generation, legally mandated action ( note the EU court ruling on the Swiss climate action case), Global internet banking, automobile technology, pandemic mitigation, space, mass transit and entertainment, to name a few, is changing the way the world will work.
This calls for new training and education. A whole range of pan national courses that will have a mobile workforce that is skilled and connected. There is a demand for every form of speciality that can contribute from London to Ludhiana. From Antarctica
The rising queries regarding these courses have made us realise the importance of preparing counsellors to effectively advise students on emerging fields. I emphasize the integration of AI for continuous training and development. In addition to effectively utilising AI we make sure that our counsellors undergo intensive training regularly, go on frequent familiarisation trips to the study universities and collaborate closely with university representatives to ensure students get the best advice possible for these new areas.
What’s driving the increase in education abroad applications from Tier 1 & 2 cities in India?
India is seeing rapid urbanisation and the rise of socio -economic class A1 A2, coupled with high incomes. Economic development and demand for education go hand in hand. That education may not be available in all these cities leading to high rates of student mobility . Overseas education is a luxury offering with high aspirational demand. These translate directly to a corresponding increase in demand for quality education. Remember, to Indians, education comes before all else.
The number of students going overseas is almost always matched to key indicators like the rate of growth of the stock market and the rate of increase in Real-estate prices. All three have tripled over the 8 years. Education and ambition go hand in hand. Aspirations rise with the economy. Ambition rises with aspiration. Education is the surest way to get that ambition.