Educationist Dr. Karan Gupta takes you through the new Emerging Destinations to study abroad

The unpredictable world economy has led Indian students to consider countries other than the US, UK, Canada and Australia to study abroad. With many European countries offering academic excellence at lower costs and because of easier visa procedures, study abroad aspirants have found new destinations to explore. The countries in Europe are extremely diverse and offer several courses that are of interest to Indian students. Students who opt to study in Europe prefer to learn new languages and enjoy the cultural marvels and food that countries in Europe offer.

In order to streamline the education systems in the EU, the Bologna Process was adopted by most of the countries. After the adoption of the Bologna Process, students can easily move across institutions in different countries within the EU. There is more similarity between the American and the European education system and hence the education system is now more global.

For admissions to the Bachelor’s degree programmes students need to have completed their 12^th grade. Most universities will accept the Indian local boards but a few universities will insist that students have IB scores or A Level grade exams before they can be considered for admission; such universities include Oxford University, Cambridge University, London School of Economics and IE University. For admissions to the Master’s degree courses students generally need to have a recognized 3 or 4 year Bachelor’s degree. Some universities may need the GRE or the GMAT score as well.

While studying in the EU students are allowed to work for a limited duration (sometimes180 half days in a year). However, in many cases, students will need additional paperwork and the process may not be easy. Hence, students should not rely on income from employment while studying. Post graduation, if students find a job, it may be possible to get a work visa. In most cases, students have to learn the local language in order to find suitable employment post graduation.

Germany – German public universities offer very low or have no tuition fees. This makes them affordable for any academically bright student. Of course, learning German would make the process of studying in Germany easier, although one can find many institutes that teach in English. Among the leading institutes in Germany are Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Technische Universität München (TUM) and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU). The most popular course for Indian students in Germany is engineering.

Spain – Great weather and inexpensive education make Spain a fantastic place to study for Indian students. The crime rates are very low and the people of Spain are very warm and welcoming. The top institutes in Spain include Universitat de Barcelona, IE University, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid and Universitat Pompeu Fabra. The popular courses for Indian students include business, architecture and language studies.

Italy – Italy is well known for its food and fashion and most Indian students choose Italy to study fields such as fashion, food technology and art. The government strictly evaluates the institutes to make sure that the education offered is of the highest quality. The leading universities in Italy include Universita di Bologna, Politechnico di Milano and Universita di Pisa.

Switzerland – Often described as heaven on earth and introduced to most of India through Bollywood songs, Switzerland is a great place for students to pursue courses relating to hotel management, international affairs and public management. Switzerland is one of the world’s safest places and welcoming for Indian students. The top institutes in Switzerland include University of Geneva, University of Zurich, University of Lausanne and the University of Bern.

Scandinavia – Norway, Sweden and Finland are new emerging destinations for Indian students who wish to study abroad. One of the main reasons why Indian students choose to study in Scandinavia is because of the safety and lush green surroundings. Most students know that Nokia, the world’s leading telecom provider is from Finland, giving the country a reputation of being technologically advanced. The most popular courses for Indian students include technology-related courses, engineering and energy management. The top universities in Sweden are Lund University, Uppsala University and Stockholm University, while the top universities in Norway are University of Oslo, University of Bergen and University of Tromso. Finland’s top universities include The University of Kuopio and the University of Turku.

It’s important that students now look at their global options before deciding on where to study further. Study your options carefully and then make an informed decision.