The dreams of lakhs of Indian students preparing to study abroad in the 2019-’20 academic year came crashing down due to the pandemic. The situation improved slightly in 2021, but the heavy load on international embassies meant that very few got visas to go abroad.

This year, studying abroad bloomed again, with many students securing a visa and travelling to their dream country. As we predict trends of 2023, there is still a shadow of COVID-19 lingering on, given what is happening in China. There is also the impact of the war in Europe that has driven inflation across all the popular destinations to study abroad. Another macroeconomic factor that will impact studying abroad in 2023 is the looming recession in most developed economies, with big tech companies cutting jobs by thousands.

There is no doubt about the growing demand for studying abroad, which was initially attributed to the pent-up demand for two years of the pandemic but is now more due to increasing aspirations and affordability to study abroad. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), as of 2022, over 13 lakh Indian students are studying abroad, with the largest number (4.65 lakh) pursuing higher studies in America.

Considering students are again looking for options to study abroad, this is how we can forecast the coming year:

 

Hybrid study model is here to stay

Several studies have shown that students continue to express keenness in embracing the benefits of hybrid learning. Even though the pandemic was their first experience with hybrid learning, they have accepted the blended model as the future of education.

A balanced mix of online and on-campus learning for degree courses abroad isn’t just cost-effective but has also made higher education overseas equitable, sustainable, and democratized. The model has also paved the way for university partnerships between countries, allowing better acceptance of learning models across the nations involved. The most prominent example is the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between India and the United Kingdom for the mutual recognition of academic qualifications.

 

Demand shift towards offbeat study destinations

Canada and the UK were among the top preferences of Indian students in 2022. Even though the opportunities in the UK seem many, the country’s unstable economy and fears of a year-long recession may prove to be a point of demotivation for students. Amid high inflation, work shortage, and falling business investments, students doubt their career growth in the country.

The declining student interest in Canada as a destination mainly stems from high study visa rejections in the past few months. The Canadian government has rejected almost 60% of visa applications in the recent past.

The alternatives that have come to the forefront are offbeat destinations in Europe such as Germany, France, Poland, Belarus, Slovakia, and others. Japan and South Korea in East Asia are also high on the students’ preference lists.

 

Tech and STEM courses in high demand

Despite news of job cuts, the demand for courses majoring in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) continues to grow. Students understand the potential of these courses and their impact on the world. This is the best time to study these courses and be ready for the job market when it bounces back in a year or two.

Also, flexible curriculum that intertwine opportunities with the program and the creation of new courses have led to a growing interest in STEM and tech courses. High employability and better options to stay back are the two significant reasons why more learners choose STEM-based programs.

 

A World Economic Forum report estimates that by 2025, 97 million new roles may emerge for STEM and tech graduates across major industries and economies.

 

More undergraduate students will flock abroad

Rising income levels, awareness about education abroad, easy availability of financial aid, and convenient stay-back options are significant reasons why a large population of undergrad aspirants is looking at education abroad.

Moreover, multicultural exposure and early employment opportunities also draw bachelor’s aspirants to international universities.

 

Standardised tests for student evaluation

The uncertainty due to the pandemic in the last two years has forced universities overseas to offer waivers on standardized tests like the GRE, GMAT, ACT, SAT, and others. However, with the traditional admission processes being reinstated, the coming year will likely see standardized examinations becoming a critical part of candidate evaluation again.

The world may remain uncertain, but 2023 is when we should make the right choices and go out to make things happen while being resilient. International education is a big leap, and it’s time we evolve and stay abreast with the changing education landscape.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/education/study-abroad/how-studying-abroad-is-likely-to-shape-up-in-2023-8314711/