Singapore on a song

The country is becoming popular as an education hub among city students who find its economic stability and ethnic mix attractive

Beating international hotspots such as New York,London and Abu Dhabi is no joke. According to a recent study conducted by a market research company,Singapore ranks number one on the list of cities attracting students both from the country as well as internationally. Be it the economic and political stability,late-night shopping experiences,cheap streetfood that fits comfortably into a students budget or the vibrant mix of ethnicity and cultures,Singapore boasts of a variety of reasons why its playing the role of the best host city to students.

Neha Sarwal,Head of Academics at IMS Learning Resources,says the popularity of South Asian cities,specially Singapore,among the student community emerges from the underlying trust on its economic stability,which ensures a job opportunity to students after they complete their course. When a student considers studying abroad,one of the key factors is the job prospects after finishing the degree. Western countries,due to economic instability,are not offering good job prospects right now. As Singapore has a better economic climate,students also have good job prospects there, says Sarwal.

She adds,The second reason is that universities in Singapore have gone up in ranking and they are now recognised the world over. Universities such as Nanyang Technological University (NTU) fall within the top-50 universities worldwide and are recognised globally. Singaporean currency is also very manageable for students as compared to the pound or the dollar. Plus,they have a variety of courses,offering top-of-the-line education.

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Chaitanya Rathi,who is exploring his prospects in Singapore for pursuing an MBA,agrees. For me,the main draw was the economy. Financial experts around the world predict Singapores economy to be one of the topmost over the next decade, says Rathi. Having already completed a masters degree in food technology from UK and worked there for a few years,Rathi is disappointed with the drop in their economy. Singapore also has a balance of the western lifestyle with the Asian business. Also,whenever I have an extended weekend,with three to four days in hand,I can make a quick trip home, says Rahti.

Sangeeta Singh,who has just completed her graduation from Ness Wadia College,says that over the years,Singapore has shifted from the British-based education system which was established there during the time of colonisation,to developing their own system to meet the needs of students in the present time. The universities in Singapore give you a wide variety of subject combinations to choose from,unlike the option available in Indian universities. The curriculum also involves hands-on industry experience,which is where the actual learning takes place, says Singh,who is excited to travel to Singapore to pursue her Masters degree in Business Management.

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