Higher studies, the way to go

Updated on: Tuesday, May 12, 2009

The economic downturn is driving more students away from the search for elusive jobs and toward the option of higher studies abroad, according to students and the representatives of educational institutions who participated in The Hindu EducationPlus International Education Fair on May 8 and 9 in Chennai.

“Campus placements have dried up over the last year. Hopefully, if I study now, the situation will be better by the time I finish a PG degree,” says B. Yamini, a biomedical engineering student who attended the fair. Her classmate D. Ashwaath agrees, adding that in their field, it is difficult to get a good job without any work experience or postgraduate degree. “If I can come back armed with a U.S. degree, I’ll have a much better chance,” he says.

Figures available with educational institutions confirm the trend.

“We are seeing a 40 per cent increase in international applicants this year. I would say the recession is actually bringing us a flood of new students,” says Miriam Ebenezer, International Liaison Officer for the University of East Anglia, U.K. She heads the university’s India office that was set up this year to cope with that flood.

Apart from fresh graduates, even working professionals are eyeing the economic slump as a good opportunity to add educational qualifications to their resume, so that they are ready for faster career growth when the economy rebounds, says Prem Ganesh of Cango Consultants, agents for several Canadian universities.

Thehindu

Higher studies, the way to go

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