By Sriram Vadlamani*
When it comes to overseas education, the US is the first destination which enters many people’s minds. Canada, Australia and the UK are typically the second choices for Indian students. Of late, however, another destination has opened up to Indian students in Asia itself – Hong Kong. With two universities in the world top 100, Hong Kong is a great choice for Indian students looking for higher education. In fact, Australia is losing favor with Indian student community, which is gradually shifting to Hong Kong.
Hong Kong has a small but growing Indian diaspora of 27,000 people. In 2010, Hong Kong opened an education centre in India to further strengthen the image of Hong Kong here. A $1bn (HK) scholarship fund has been set-up for international students and a PhD fellowship scheme has also been launched for students who want to pursue research studies. Successful PhD students stand to receive a HK$240,000 a year for stipend and other research activities.
Students can stay 12 months after graduation in search of a work and beyond 12 months if they find employment. Hong Kong has an impressive 95% employment rate for graduates. The typical tuition costs between US$9,000 and US$13,000 per year, which is what many Indian institutions are charging now.
Institutions in Hong Kong teach in English while preserving the Chinese language and culture. Given the proximity of Hong Kong to China and other business centers, business management students will find studying in Hong Kong especially attractive and lucrative. Outside business management, Indian students have shown interest in arts and humanities too. Science and technology are also obvious choices for Indian students and Hong Kong provides great opportunities in these fields.
Hong Kong, a melting pot where Western and Eastern cultures meet, is a great destination for Indian students.
*Sriram Vadlamani is an independent blogger living in Bangalore, India. He works for a conglomerate as an IT professional. You can read his blog, Indianomics, here.