Page 45 - Forbes - India (January 2020)

STudy In IndIa

ith a civil war raging India in October 2018 through the Middle East and other developed
in Syria for eight years, Study in India (SII) programme. economies where India needs to
education there has “Before coming here, I got further build and develop its global
suffered. “Many Syrian admission in Czech Republic, Europe. identification as an education hub.”
W students want to complete But my parents were not comfortable India is ranked third in terms of
their education, but are unable to sending me there because Europe higher educational network with
do so as the situation there is pretty is expensive. Within two weeks, I more than 38,000 colleges and over
bad. Getting admission to colleges in got a scholarship from the Study in 800 universities. However, it ranks
Syria has become difficult because India programme,” says Isa, a student 26th among the top destinations
the government offers limited seats,” of MSc economics at Symbiosis for international student mobility,
says Jafar Isa, 28, who found a way International University in Pune. “I’m globally. The top 10 countries
to pursue his studies by coming to grateful for this scholarship because constitute 63.7 percent of the total
of which I can pursue my masters... foreign students enrolled and
it wouldn’t have been possible to get according to the 2018-19 data by All
this opportunity in my country. A lot India Survey on Higher Education,
of Syrian students have come here there were over 47,000 international
from cities which were under terrorist students (accounting for 1 percent of
control and India has saved them.” global international student mobility)
Isa is one of thousand Syrians studying in higher educational
who got a fully paid scholarship institutes in India. The aim is to
last year under SII, a joint initiative attract 1.5-2.5 lakh international
of the ministry of human resource students by 2022 and jump to No 15 in
development (MHRD), ministry the world in attracting international
of external affairs and ministry of students, according to the EdCIL-
commerce and industry, launched CII Survey on Internationalisation
in April 2018 to streamline and of Indian Campuses 2019. 45
attract international students to “The initiative also caters
the country (the scheme to the demand from developed
shot into prominence when markets through collaborations
Pune's
symbiosis Finance Minister Nirmala with selected institutions that offer
international Sitharaman announced it in
University has
got 85 students her Budget 2019 speech).
via the study in According to the SII portal, Study in India:
india initiative
there are 2,000 scholarships Academic Cycle
of $3,500 per annum available Registrations from
for “meritorious undergraduate 169 countries
and postgraduate students”. Student registrations
“The focus of SII is not only to 69,423
increase demand with students across
the globe, but also to strengthen the Students who logged
supply side by providing support on to the web portal
and facilitation services with allied 44,597
institutions to international students,”
says Manoj Kumar, chairman and Those who filled their
managing director, EdCIL India, a choices on the portal
8,058
public sector undertaking and the
implementing agency of the SII
programme. “The SII programme Applications submitted
with documents
is working on scholarships for 7,266
students, global hostels and bridge
courses. We are also updating our Students from 86 countries
who came here under SII
website and building a multi-lingual 2,786
interface. Our team will soon be (till August 2019)
expanding to regions like Asean, Source MHrD

january 31, 2020 • forbes india