The steady rise in Indian students choosing to study abroad has widened the variety of study-abroad destinations across the globe. Specifically in the European region, countries like France, Germany, Ukraine and Italy have gained immense popularity among prospective students. Seeing the success of the countries in this regard, Finland has also decided to join in the race to become one of the top study-abroad destinations for Indian students.
Accepting around 7,500 foreign national students per year, Finland has recorded hundreds of Indian students enrolling in Finnish universities. Experts believe that this trend of Indian students choosing Finland may only increase in the future.
Harri Hälvä, Senior Specialist of International Marketing at Study in Finland, commented that the country usually sees around 500 Indian students enrolling in Finnish universities. However, in 2021-22, this number doubled.
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In a networking event held at the MET Institute of Management in Mumbai, senior representatives from Finnish universities and stakeholders of the Indian education sectors interacted with each other and traded ideas. Reports state that Finland aims to reach a target of 15,000 international students before 2030, with India being a crucial partner in the same.
Hälvä highlighted that the country aims to retain international students, which includes Indian students after graduation. The country’s goal currently is to achieve a 75% employment rate of international students within the first year of graduation, which currently stands at 50%.
Erik af Hällström, the Consul General of Finland in Mumbai, cited the growth of the country’s international education sector as a result of the success seen from the domestic perspective. He commented on Finland’s performance in the Happiness Index which highlighted the country’s focus on social security, quality of life and the right to an education that its citizens have. Erik further added that the country had adopted the free education model before the internationalisation of the sector, which became a parameter that attracted students even more.
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Finland also relaxed immigration regulations which have been in effect since 15 April 2022. The new regulations state that foreign nationals pursuing academics in the country would no longer need to renew their permits every year. The regulations now allow the job seeker permits to remain valid for 2 years, further increasing the work hours to 30, from the previous 25 hours that had been the norm till last year.
The move had been made as a result of the increasing demand for a skilled workforce in Finland. Gitta Perez, the Head of Talent Boost India at Business Finland, stated that the country is looking for a range of skilled individuals, including startup entrepreneurs and those specialising in the Data, Services and Nursing sectors. She added that the country expects to see more foreign nationals in these sectors within the next decade.
The UGC’s upcoming rules about satellite campuses of foreign universities opening up in India have also attracted interest from Finland as well. He added that a consortium of universities may find themselves interested in building campuses in India. However, Erik endorsed the idea of pursuing higher studies in Finland, citing that the calmer environment, less population density and “spacy campuses” contribute to a better student experience that other countries may not be able to provide.
Source: FreePressJournal
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