Amid Outflow, Kerala Becomes A Favorite Destination For Foreign Students (Photo @Pixabay)
Shujaullah Khwajazada from Afghanistan wonders why students from Kerala flock to foreign countries for their higher education when there is a good system at home. Referring to the common talk that students leave the state due to quality concerns, Khwajazada asks, “Who said that?” and adds he was impressed by the education system. The international student also said that he completed his post-graduation in Kerala and is planning to do a PhD in the state.
While it is true that a large number of students from Kerala are opting to study abroad, especially in the UK, US, Australia, and Canada among others, it was surprising to find that the state is witnessing an uptick in foreign student enrollment.
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The trend follows the 2023 data, which showed a significant surge in the arrival of international students to pursue higher education. Projecting a jump from 571 and 1,100 applications from the previous academic year, Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam and the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) this year registered 885 and 1,600 foreign applications, respectively, The New Indian Express reported.
The number of foreign students in these two institutes depicted a larger trend of Kerala becoming a favoured destination for higher education for global students.
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In 2023, Kerala University had as many as 81 foreign students intake, which was a huge leap from the previous record of 49, triggering discussions on the interesting change. The university had received a total of 1,600 applications from candidates from 45 countries across the world. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan last year cited the statistics, claiming that Kerala is becoming a favoured destination for international students.
Though foreign students opt for reputed universities, enrollment happens in autonomous colleges too. To exemplify, the Rajagiri College in Kalamassery has 60 foreign students enrolled in various courses.
“There’s a steady rise in the number of foreign students opting for Kerala and India as their academic home,” the media house quotes Hareesh N Ramanathan, the director of international relations and associate professor (business management) at Cusat.
Notably, the state is getting applications from even the US and Canada, and most applications are coming from African and Southeast Asian countries, the report said.
Why International Students Prefer Kerala
According to the report, infrastructure is a major draw for foreign students opting for higher education in Kerala. “The facilities available for students in Kerala and India are significantly better,” says Regina Babu, a Tanzanian national pursuing her PhD at Cusat. Her friends Naomi Simiyu from Kenya, Ghamdan Alshamiri from Yemen, and Motaz Alhassin from Sudan echo her sentiment. Regina proudly highlights the facilities and ‘vast collection of reference’ books available for research.
Scholarships are also another allure for the increased preference for Kerala. Many students point out that the peaceful atmosphere in the state attracted them the most. Many others attribute their love of studying in the state to the pleasant climate.
