As more opportunities arise, Indian students are opting to pursue their higher studies across different countries abroad. One such country that has seen a significant rise in the number of Indians is the United Kingdom.
According to a top UK academician, more than 92,000 UK student visas have been conferred to Indians in 2022 as of now. He added that this number depicts a growth of 350% over 2019.
The newly-appointed Vice-Chancellor of Loughborough University and formerly the UK Government’s first chief scientific advisor for National Security, Professor Nick Jennings spoke about the growth with the media. In his comments, he stated, “while the UK ‘appears’ disconnected from the world due to Brexit, it is attracting more and more students from foreign countries, especially India and China”.
Also Read: Indians Can Now Get UK Student Visa in 15 Days, Says UK High Commissioner
The British High Commission published the number of sponsored study visas that have been issued to Indian students in one year till June 2022. According to the report, the UK had issued 117,965 sponsored study visas, an increase of 215% over the 37,396 sponsored study visas issued in 2019. India had been leading the charge with China following closely with 115,056 visas issued.
Speaking of the Indian student cohort at Loughborough University, Prof Jennings highlighted that the first Indian to graduate from the university, which has now grown to a community of 900 students, with 600 more joining the community this year. He attributed the significant growth to the introduction of the graduate entry route, which has further led India to pass China as the largest group of international students for postgraduate studies at the university.
Further stating the benefits of Brexit, Professor Jennings highlighted that the country has become more open to international students. Moreover, companies and universities have displayed interest in increasing “the breadth and depth of their collaborations with India”.
Also Read: India Accounts for Largest Share of UK Study Visas, Overtaking China
Concluding his statements, Prof Jennings praised the Indian government and their strong leadership and clear vision looking to address a multitude of challenges. Adding to this, he stated that the “UK can collaborate with Indian partners and industry, and provide Indian graduates with the further skills needed to make a difference to their country and society.”
He further highlighted the priorities, specifically those where “Loughborough and other UK universities have proven expertise”, such as smart manufacturing, sustainability, EVs, net zero, renewable technologies, and much more.
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Source: Financial Express