Karnataka hosts highest share of foreign students in country'

With over 37,000 international students, Karnataka has the highest share of foreign students in the country. However, most of them are from developing countries and the challenge is to try and attract students from developed countries through short-term courses.

This was one of the main points raised at the workshop on ‘Internationalisation of Higher Education’ on Saturday.

Speaking at the workshop, P J Tavakere, senior advisor, Institute of International Education, a nonprofit organisation, said there was a great demand for short-term courses among students in developed countries. “Students from countries such as the US and the UK will not come to India to do a course in medicine or engineering. However, a semester studying could be quite popular,” he said.

He pointed out that a few universities in India like the University of Hyderabad offered one semester on Modern India that had quite a few foreign students.

Incidentally, as part of the State Higher Education department’s goal to internationalise higher education, the Overseas Centre for Foreign Students, under the Karnataka State Higher Education Council, has thought about a concept of introducing an ‘Education Tourism’ programme in the state.

Under the plan, students from Europe or the United States could study places like of Hampi in Ballari district and immerse in the local culture as part of a short-term course offered by various state universities.

Highlighting the aim was to make Karnataka a goldmine of skilled manpower, Higher Education department Additional Chief Secretary Bharat Lal Meena said a plan to introduce short-term courses in universities for foreign students would be discussed soon.