Indian Council of World Affairs

1.  It gives me immense pleasure to address the India-EU Capacity Building Workshop with Educational Consultants, being held under the aegis of the India-EU Common Agenda on Migration and Mobility project (Phase II). I would like to thank our project partners, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), for their cooperation in organising this event. Today’s workshop on enhancing the capacities of educational consultants is a follow-up to the workshop on Student Mobility, held in September 2024. It is a timely endeavour considering the globalised landscape and internationalisation of education.

2.  NEP 2020 aligns with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ vision, which envisages India’s transformation into a fully developed nation by 2047, the 100th year of Indian independence. NEP encourages cross-border student exchanges, especially short-term mobility, as an opportunity to gain global exposure, not as a pathway for Indian students to settle abroad. The government’s aim is for these students to return to India equipped with enhanced skills, knowledge, and perspectives, enabling them to actively contribute to nation-building and the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’.

3.  Around 1.3 million Indians are studying abroad in institutions of higher and tertiary education as on 1 Jan 2024, making India the second-largest student sending country. Of these 94,335 were studying in EU Member States such as Germany, France, Ireland and Italy as of January 2024. India’s significant student mobility outflow is indicative of its role as a central player in the global educational market and the international student mobility corridor as Indian students are increasingly being identified as key consumers for foreign higher education. The exponential growth of the student mobility corridor has had major implications on the bilateral engagements between India and the EU considering its financial and cultural underpinnings.

4.  In this context, Europe with its expansive number of universities, with more than 40 per cent included in the global rankings of best educational institutes is seen as a great destination for Indian students. The academic rigour and experiential learning opportunities serve as attractive points towards prospective students. Indian students generate substantial revenue for these educational institutes. These students also allow an opportunity for the EU educational universities to diversify their student pool and allow for cross-cultural exchanges.

5.  The requirements of facilitating studies abroad are quite distinct from those working abroad which needs to be treated differently. While the pull and push factors of this student mobility corridor are well-known, there are certain challenges that persist. The application process of these institutes and the subsequent visa processes can be challenging and confusing to the students. Currently, there are apprehensions about the constantly changing visa policies towards students with respect to both the study requirements and work opportunities post study. There are also concerns about student safety, with the physical and mental well-being of students not being adequately factored in and requiring greater cognisance and support from the foreign institutions and supervision of teaching faculty.

6.  In a new environment, students moving to study outside would benefit to a great deal by on arrival orientation carried out by the higher educational institutes there and also from student-friendly international office teams within these institutions. Generally, students are not very knowledgeable about their next steps in a foreign country after their arrival with respect to the administrative requirements, i.e. whether they have to register themselves in the municipal offices or other administrative tasks. Hence, any assistance and support in this respect would go a long way in helping them adjust to the foreign settings.

7.  Here, the role of educational consultants becomes relevant. The major receiving countries for higher education, which includes US, Australia, EU and Canada, use educational consultancies to attract international students. Educational consultants are significant actors in assisting students with their admissions and enrolment in foreign universities. They influence the mobility of students by guiding them towards destinations which will prove more fruitful for their careers and future aspirations. Updated information flow to educational consultants about studying opportunities abroad, courses offered, living conditions, rule applicable etc is of utmost importance.

8.  Educational consultants also collate information pertaining to the scholarship landscape for students interested in moving to Europe for their study. While the EU and its member states alongside the Indian government offer scholarships for different fields for studying abroad, the information is fragmented and it is difficult for individuals to comb through all this information and pin point the scholarships that would be most relevant for them. Educational consultants act as guides in this context as well.

9.  Educational consultants thus play a key role in helping students navigate the complex terrain of the global education industry. Through conversations with students and understanding their career goals, they provide a comprehensive list of suitable countries and the leading educational institutions there. They facilitate this student mobility by providing help with visa documentation and the entire application process. They guide on the screening examinations to be taken and the interview to be held.

10.  We sincerely hope that today’s workshop would provide a platform not only for the educational consultants to learn from the best practices followed by the EU member states in facilitating student mobility but also for the EU member states and educational institutions to develop a better understanding of the challenges that the educational consultants in India face, so that their discussions could be held in a fruitful and conducive environment and builds trust in each other’s functioning.

11.  This would enable gathering insights from the key stakeholders of the student mobility corridor. A meaningful conversation between higher educational institutes, EU partners and our educational consultants would pave the way for succinctly pointing out areas of synergy and cooperation.

Thank you!

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