Since studying abroad became popular in the previous 20 years, Australia has consistently ranked among the top five best countries to study for international students. Australia appears to be the ideal study abroad destination for Indians due to its low cost of living, high educational standards, modern lifestyle, proximity to India, thriving international student scene, and English-speaking inhabitants.
The latest trade agreement between India and Australia makes Australia much more appealing to Indian students, particularly those with STEM credentials. Considering Australian Higher Education from the perspective of overseas students, how COVID has altered it, what to expect in the near future, and how you can utilise this insight to your advantage is something to think about.
Despite the fact that the country has only 43 universities, which is low when compared to the United States or the United Kingdom, Australia is home to some highly ranked world-renowned universities. You will find relevant options in the most popular courses such as business management, architecture, engineering, computer science, and information technology.
All bachelor’s degrees are three years lengthy (3 years with honours), master’s courses are one to two years long, and PhD programmes normally take three to four years to complete. Indian students adjust well because English is the most widely spoken language in the country.
Work possibilities for up to 40 hours every two weeks are available for students enrolled in full-time studies (currently the rules have been temporarily relaxed and students are allowed to work more than 40 hours). You may also work in any organisation as a full-time, part-time, or casual employee.
The Australian government handled the COVID-19 outbreak effectively, giving students the confidence to continue their studies in the country.
According to University of Melbourne research on the international population of students in Australia and the trend after the pandemic, students from various countries will continue to be interested in studying in Australian universities, but the number of students will take time to reach its previous potential.
This would be related to the preference for online learning, but it would also be owing to the frequent emergence of fresh waves of COVID-19 and its variants, as well as the heightened hazards that come with them. Prospective students chose to study in their native nations, near their families, during such times when international travel was difficult.
Courses that include laboratory or practice-based components will shrink in the future. In the past, business and commerce courses drew the most overseas students to Australia. Such courses are among the greatest that the country has to offer, and they have recently gained international acclaim.
Given the overall fall in the number of international students enrolling, such courses will witness a little decrease in demand in the near future. Considering shifting conditions caused by the pandemic, there is a noticeable rebound in the number of students returning to the US and the UK as compared to Australia, and there are a few causes for this phenomenon. Because the United States is the world’s largest economy, there are more and better job options for international students. The United States offers thousands of colleges to select from, each offering a variety of specialist degrees and giving priority to STEM-based post-study work visas.
Canada has similar eligibility and entrance procedures to the United States, as well as a sizable Indian community. The United Kingdom added a new provision to its student visa programme that allows students to stay in the country for up to two years after their academic sessions have ended to look for work. Despite Brexit, the UK can still open doors for students from the EU and other Western countries in general because it boasts some of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world.
Therefore, is Australia the best option for you, and will this trade agreement make a difference? The answer is determined by two factors: your subject major and the industry’s position in the Australian economy. You are on the correct track if you choose a subject that interests you and is in a high-demand field in Australia. However, if the industry for that subject is already overcrowded and does not appear to be successful in the future, you may not be able to find long-term career possibilities for it.
According to the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (Ind-Aus ECTA), “Australia will give roughly 1,00,000 post-study employment visas to Indian students graduating from Australian institutions from STEM-based degrees.”
This provides STEM-interested Indian students with a significant advantage, and they will have a good chance of finding work in Australia after they graduate. Even if you are not a STEM student, you are eligible for a two-year work permit after completing a Bachelor’s degree, three years after completing a Masters’s degree, and four years after completing a PhD. Students seeking a Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline who earn first-class honours receive an extra year to work in Australia (a total of 3 years).
Furthermore, the trade agreement assures mutual recognition of qualifications, licences, and registration procedures, allowing students to return to India without having to worry about their degree recognition or licencing to practise in numerous sectors. The agreement also allows young Indians to spend their working holidays in Australia and get a taste of Australian life without spending too much money. The new trade agreement between India and Australia will allow many more Indian students to study in Australia, helping to realise the full potential of the two nations’ educational relationships.
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