Indian Students head for Scotland

Scotland is emerging as the Indian scholar’s preferred destination, going by the rising percentage of students enrolling at universities there.

Since the last year, the number of students joining Scottish universities has risen by 45%, taking the total figure to 3,820, out of 51,000 students from overseas.

The increase has been 2,995 over the previous year. Of these,
71% are from non-European countries. China sends the most number
of students – a total of 5170, which is 10% of all overseas students.

What attracts students to Scotland is the prospect of working
in the country for 2 years after graduation. Students can also
work part-time for up to 20 hours a week during term time and
full-time during vacations.

In case the course runs for a year
or more, the students’ dependants are also permitted to work in Scotland, even if a year has not been completed.

Inadequate avenues for higher education in developing countries have led Scotland to seize the opportunity to make its educational facilities a major export.

Scottish firms too welcome foreign talent. The Scottish economy
is driven by global enterprises engaged in microelectronics,
finance, oil and gas, engineering and biotechnology as well as
the more traditional industries such as fishing, agriculture,
forestry, textiles and whisky.

Most Scottish universities are also tying up to provide in-country
degree programmes overseas. Napier, Strathclyde, Reid Kerr College
and Glasgow University have arrangements with local colleges/universities
in Oman, Dubai, Libya, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

Though Scotland is reckoned as a quality education provider,
it faces sharp competition from Australia and Europe. However,
Scotland’s advantage lies in the research opportunities that its universities offer.

Scotland publishes the world’s third largest number of scientific publications per head of population, offering students a platform for expression and self-gratification.