From Dollars to Dirhams: Moving towards Practical ways of Studying Abroad

Six months ago, on July 22, 2021, the Ministry of External Affairs (India) published the number of students studying abroad, listing all the countries from A-Z. Foreign education specialists, the higher education industry and universities look up to such data usually to put strategies in place for the forthcoming year. Students can use this data to see how even in the remotest of countries we have Indian students trying to carve a niché.

Number of Indian Students Studying abroad – July 2021

Source: Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India

Download: Data of Indian Students studying abroad

What should catch your attention is that 2,19,000 Indian nationals are studying in the United Arab Emirates as of 2021. This year on year number currently exceeds Indian students studying Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and even the USA! It cannot be denied that 50% -60% of the Indian students studying in UAE are from Indian families settled/working in UAE. What is surprising is that there is a natural course of growth in international student numbers that can be observed here.

Also, Read

• Checklist for students heading to UAE
• Living in UAE as an international student
• Study in Singapore - Colleges, Eligibility & Scholarships

For a location that is mostly preconceived as a luxury destination, vacation spot or something that was a sandy desert until 25 years ago, today there are 70+ approved universities by the Knowledge & Human Development Authority, Dubai. Indian parents have preferred Dubai and Singapore to keep their children closer to home. Cultural similarities are an add on for Indian parents to keep their children within their reach. As of 2021, Dubai has been consistently ranked for lifestyle, education, the standard of living and its eagerness to compete with the most developed destinations in the world.

Thanks to Hollywood and Bollywood, when it comes to Dubai or Abu Dhabi, most of us end up imagining a desert safari, high-speed cars, gold and tigers as pets or Burj Khalifa. But any common man knows how UAE income is tax-free, how their standard of living is skyrocketing and the low crime rates that help build up a safe economy. There are several MNCs here which have made UAE an emerging destination for students to study at world-class institutions be it from the USA, UK, Australia, India, Canada or UAE itself.

Average Cost of Studying in UAE

source: https://studyabroad.shiksha.com/ 

Dubai International Academic City plays a key role in advancing and promoting Dubai’s position on the regional and global education scale. What any undergraduate student or postgraduate student should focus on is below:

• The cost of living is usually cheaper than spending in dollars and pounds
• You end up earning a degree in ₹15lakhs or less from a country you wish to study from like the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, and India per year
• There is a large sense of community here that helps you to not be homesick
• Indian parents need not worry about the food and safety of their children and can visit at affordable costs
• Flexible learning options for students
• Work full time and study full time as a student
• Students can start studying in the UAE and even move to the parent campus, if eligible
• Visa processes are easier than in the west
• Pandemic management was on point. The Healthcare system here is a boon

There are study destinations that keep emerging as one of the most preferred countries to study abroad or traditionally followed by us as one of the top-most places to study, but this is where most of us forget to think about our ever-changing world dynamics and conditions. Think about how so many of us had to re-skill, upskill or even learn new ways to survive. Think about how many people lost their jobs or how many jobs became irrelevant.

In our current situation where there is tremendous uncertainty, students must look at opportunities along with study abroad options. During the pandemic, 50% of our graduates in India were unsure about their career options and/or struggled to get jobs. Financial implications of the pandemic have ranged from personal to the government level where students await visas to travel abroad.

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An option closer to home, with unlimited work options and world-class education facilities, would be a good way to change the current study abroad dynamics. A more practical approach would definitely be a way forward to studying abroad.

About the Author

With experience in international student recruitment & higher education across universities in UK and USA,  Poonam Venkatesh works with students across South Asia, South East Asia, the Middle East, the United States and the United Kingdom to find the right foreign university options. Poonam has been working in the higher education industry for more than a decade. Being an international student, she shares her experiences with students and parents while selecting universities for study abroad or choosing majors. Currently working as the Admissions Director at SecureMyScholarship, she aims to help students to find the right fit universities, affordable study options and more accessible higher education.