European nations have featured on the top of the list of study destinations for several Indian students over the years. While the pandemic impacted student mobility to many countries, some of them, such as Italy, are looking to intensify efforts to get more Indian students to their campuses.
The Italian government plans to go for more cultural and academic exchange programs, which are expected to lead to a growth in the number of Indian students enrolled in their universities. Italian Ambassador Vincenzo de Luca has said that the higher education institutions in the two countries are focusing on increasing engagements at the student, faculty, and cultural levels.
As per recent data from India’s Ministry of External Affairs, nearly 5,000 Indian students are currently studying in Italian institutions and the Italian government is hopeful these numbers will increase.
After several months of being stuck at home, Indian students got some relief recently when Italy recognized Covishield, the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India and jointly developed by Oxford University and pharma company AstraZeneca. This would make Indians who have taken this vaccine eligible for an Italian green pass.
The India-Italy Plan of Action 2020-2024 also mentions that the two countries will aim to intensify and support student mobility and exchanges between universities and other higher education institutions in the two countries.
According to the Migration Policy Centre (MPC) at the European University Institute, Indian students do very well in areas such as engineering, science, medicine, and IT. MPC suggests that if Indian graduates are given more employment opportunities by universities based in the European Union (EU), it will be advantageous for India and the EU nations. It also addresses the increasing dearth of skills in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, besides giving more incentives to Indian students.
It also recommends that measures must be taken to reduce the financial burden on meritorious Indian students by providing scholarships. European universities should also have in place a way of integrating Indian students into the new cultures, addressing any language barriers and gaps in non-English-speaking EU nations.
A report by the Erasmus Mundus Programme states that Indian students generally do not look at the EU as a single entity and differentiate between the member nations with respect to factors such as cost of living, facilities, education offered, work permit rules, tuition fees, visa and immigration policies, and quality of teaching.
Some of the Italian institutions on the preferred list of Indian students include the Milano Fashion Institute, Florence Institute of Design International, Rome Business School, Sapienza University of Rome, and Polytechnic University of Milan.
Apart from scholarships by individual member states, the EU also provides scholarships to Indian students who can go for a master’s degree by going to two or more EU nations during their study duration. This not only adds cultural diversity but also helps build community relations.
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