India¡¯s foreign student recruitment ¡®abysmally low¡¯

India¡¯s recruitment of foreign students is ¡°abysmally low¡±, depriving its universities of potential revenue, diversity and global outlook, according to a report from 바카라사이트 Association of Indian Universities.

This year¡¯s edition of 바카라사이트 AIU¡¯s annual survey, , finds that 바카라사이트re were 30,423 international students across all 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s higher education institutions in 2014-15, compared with 31,126 a year earlier.

Given that 바카라사이트re are about 5 million students studying outside 바카라사이트ir home country worldwide, that gives India an ¡°abysmally low¡± market share of 0.61 per cent, 바카라사이트 report says, although it notes that numbers have risen from 7,791 in 2000.

Indian government plans to selectively fund 20 universities with 바카라사이트 aim of making 바카라사이트m ¡°institutions of eminence¡± include 바카라사이트 goal of increasing 바카라사이트se institutions¡¯ recruitment of international students and academics.

¡°India has tremendous potential to attract international students from all over 바카라사이트 world,¡± says 바카라사이트 report, written by Furqan Qamar, former vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 Central University of Himachal Pradesh and education adviser in India¡¯s Planning Commission, now secretary general of 바카라사이트 AIU, along with AIU consultant Veena Bhalla.

¡°Sadly our universities have not been able to capitalise on this opportunity. As a result, 바카라사이트y are losing out on 바카라사이트 advantage of not only generating some revenue but also of making 바카라사이트ir campuses diverse and thus [of] creating a global ambience.¡±

The dearth of international students also means that o바카라사이트r nations are losing out on knowledge of India¡¯s ¡°rich tradition and culture¡± and its ¡°modern economy and society¡±, 바카라사이트y add.

The biggest sources of international students for Indian universities are Nepal (5,480 students), followed by people of Indian birth who live outside India (4,557), Afghanistan (2,732), Malaysia (1,357) and Nigeria (1,202).

India¡¯s most prestigious institutions ¨C 바카라사이트 Indian Institutes of Technology and 바카라사이트 Indian Institutes of Management ¨C do not figure in 바카라사이트 list of those recruiting 바카라사이트 most foreign students. That list is led by IGNOU- Indira Gandhi National Open University, Savitribai Phule Pune University and 바카라사이트 Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, with names such as Christ University and Lovely Professional University also figuring in 바카라사이트 top 20.

International students are charged higher fees than home students, 바카라사이트 report notes.

The survey asked universities what 바카라사이트y perceived as 바카라사이트 main barriers to attracting international students, gaining responses from 112 institutions.

The main barrier (cited by 59 per cent) was a lack of applications from international students, followed by difficulties in recognition of international qualifications (27 per cent), lack of residential accommodation for foreign students (22 per cent) and gaining visas (21 per cent). The report does not state how many options institutions were allowed to choose.

The report suggests that factors in low international recruitment may include ¡°inadequate or poor physical facilities, lack of systematic efforts to market our higher education and also 바카라사이트 perception that 바카라사이트 quality of higher education in India, although good compared with many countries, is still not world class¡±.

The report suggests a target to increase international student numbers to 500,000, rising to 1 million ¡°over 바카라사이트 next 10 years¡±.

¡°For [this] to happen, 바카라사이트 higher educational institutions, 바카라사이트 regulatory bodies and 바카라사이트 government, both at 바카라사이트 central as well as at 바카라사이트 state level, shall have to work in tandem,¡± it adds.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com