In an effort to increase global cooperation with higher education institutions in the United Kingdom, more international students, and especially Indians, will be being offered scholarships for post-graduate courses by several different schools in the UK.
The scholarships will begin with the academic school year in 2016-2017. Akshaya Mukul of the Times of India says that the UK is particularly interested in wooing Indian students. Mukul quoted UK Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills Sajid Javid as saying that “there is no cap at all” on the total number of students who will be allowed to visit Britain to study.
R. Ravikanth Reddy from The Hindu feels that Britain has a lot to offer to students from India. In fact, ninety percent of all Indian students who apply for a visa to the UK are accepted within fifteen days of doing so. Despite complaints that the UK often denies visas to Indian students, the British High Commission grants them in all but ten percent of cases. Javid shared that although students believe that the process is a long one, “statistics prove that it is not true.”
In the midst of controversy over immigrants in Europe, Jo Johnson, the UK Minister for Science and Universities, insists that Indian students are welcomed in Great Britain to work and study. The Indian Express shared Johnson’s sentiments:
“The crème-de la-crème of British universities are here in India with me to showcase that if you want to study in higher education, then UK is the place. There is no place in world where you can do higher education better than in the UK. If you want to gain the skills to compete in the global economy, British universities are ready and want to help.”
Johnson explained further:
“There is no limit on the number of Indian students we will give a warm welcome to. Every year we want more Indian students to come and study in the UK. We want them to stay on after they finish studying. To stay on and find graduate jobs, this is now permitted under our system. I want to make it very-very clear that Indian students are warmly welcome to UK.”
He shared that the UK is working with the government of India to make sure that their higher education systems, colleges, and scientists can work together to benefit everyone. Johnson states that there is a great deal of cooperation between the UK and India for science and that the opportunity is “limitless.” In 2008, the value of the two countries collaborating on scientific research was just £1 million. That number has increased to £200 million in 2015.
But it is not just about education, according to The Statesman. Indian students are welcomed to stay in the UK even after graduation if they wish to remain and work. Graduate work visas are being granted by these colleges so that students who go to school in the UK can work there “for a time” as well, which are good for three years with expansions available if desired.
