THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH!

High standards of education, affordable living costs and scholarships were the major attractions for Indian students who thronged the two-day European higher education fair in New Delhi.

The United Kingdom and the United States might still be the favourite destination for most students wanting to apply abroad for higher studies, but increasingly other countries around the world are vying with one another to attract the attention of Indian students. With a whole range of options in new upcoming sectors like biotechnology and evergreen sectors like engineering, students can now hope to look beyond hitherto popular destinations.

The two-day European Higher Education Fair that was held in New Delhi on November 24 and 25, probably best illustrated the extent of their interest. With over a hundred recognised European institutions from 25 countries at the fair, it was a chance for students to explore and get information about the university of their choice under one roof.

``This year, Germany, France and the Netherlands had the biggest contingents. Italy also brought in a large number of universities,'' said an organiser. Apart from the bigger education destinations, smaller countries such as Cyprus and Ireland were present to woo Indian students to their shores. While there were some students who wanted to go abroad for undergraduate degrees, most of the visitors to the fair wanted to go to Europe for pursuing their master's. ``I think opportunities in America are really hyped. It is also much more expensive to go to America I believe. Europe offers a high level of quality in education,'' said Ranjit Singh, who intends to do his master's and then Ph.D. in Europe. With high-standards of education, cheaper living costs and scholarships, Europe is becoming an attractive destination for Indian students, especially those looking for opportunities in the fields of engineering, biotechnology and sciences.

Here is a sample of what was on offer:

Sweden

KTH, Royal Institute

Main field of study: First-class education in a wide range of fields, including natural sciences, all branches of engineering, architecture, industrial management, urban planning and environmental technology. Tuition fees: There is no fee for registration, tuition or language courses. However, membership to student union is compulsory and costs about SEK 400 per year. Website: www.kth.se/eng.

France

France has about 2,56,000 students from around the world studying there. French higher education is made up, in large part, of public institutions, financed and controlled by the Government. Compared to other countries, education is affordable, but the cost varies from course to course. ``Most of the enquiries we got from students were at the master's level. We had expected that there would be enquiries in biotechnology. But we also got enquiries from people wanting to pursue forensic sciences too. There were queries about sustainable development and gender issues,'' said EduFrance India coordinator Archana Chaudhary.

Ireland

One of the biggest advantages Ireland has is that it is an English-speaking country. While the Emerald Isle is small, it is hoping to be able to have great connections with India and has recently set-up an Enterprise Ireland office in India``Our thrust areas are information technology, management and hospital management. Engineering and MBA are other fields that students can pursue in the country,'' said Gabriel McCarrick of Enterprise Ireland.

The Netherlands

The first non-English-speaking country to offer courses taught in English, The Netherlands is renowned worldwide for offering high quality education. Institutions in Holland offer about 1,150 international study programmes and courses that are taught in English. ``This was the first time that The Netherlands brought so many institutes to the fair. The country is looking seriously at attracting Indian students and setting up an education office here. The main areas that Indian students will find interesting are information technology, science and technology. We are mainly hoping to attract students at the master's level,'' said an official from The Netherlands Embassy.