Homeward bound

Professor Keshav Rae,director,International School of Corporate Management (ISCM) says the main reason Indian students don’t feel the necessity to travel abroad for further studies is because quality education is readily available right here in India itself. “Also,foreign institutions are taking a keen interest in tying up with local educational centers to offer varied streams and courses for students to exploit. The International School of Corporate Management is currently in negotiations with a few British universities to bring the best courses for Pune students,” he says. “Previously unavailable streams like the up and coming Information Security Management course are now being taught in this institution itself. Recession also factors in the students’ and their parents’ decisions to not study abroad. Expenses are flying through the roof right now,” adds Rae.

While earlier,students would give anything,take expensive loans and even defy peer pressure to get a professional qualification from abroad under their belt,nowadays,the best infrastructure and curriculum are available right in the country,across its length and breadth. Professor Prakash Amate,mechanical engineering teacher,AIISSMS College of Engineering says,“There are several different reasons for this downward trend. First of all,we are facing strong opposition from foreign countries,be it in the form of outsourcing and H1B1 visa grant denial in the United States or out and out racism in Australia. This contributes a lot to the students’ decisions to stay back in the sub-continent. Also,excellent opportunities are being offered right here in India. So,why bother with so much hassle?” Amate says some of his students are still travelling to the US but overall the rate has reduced a lot these past few years. “That is probably because some students who went abroad previously are struggling to fit in and settle down in a stable manner due to a myriad of troublesome issues,” adds Amate.

So,the next time you have the inclination to go abroad and get a foreign qualification,just look at all the pros and cons and then come to a reasoned decision. Your entire future educational and professional life will hinge on that single choice.

Reverse traffic
* Same courses/syllabi/infrastructure available in India as abroad
* Recession,stringent visa/employment norms being enforced abroad
* Growing incidences of racism
* More lucrative and easy educational options available in India