DrEducation: Trends and Insights on Global Higher Education

Here is an excerpt from my article published in The Economic Times based on a panel presentation at 2016 FICCI Higher Education Summit.

India is the second largest source of internationally mobile students around the world. According to the UNESCO data, in 2015, nearly 234,000 Indian students were enrolled in universities and colleges abroad. In contrast, Indian universities and colleges hosted nearly 39,000 degree-seeking international students.

The Government of India is keen on enhancing the attractiveness of India as a destination for international students. At the same time, some Indian institutions are keen on making use of the 15% additional seats available to them for enrolling foreign students.

However, India faces increasing competition as many other destinations have already been active in creating government policies and institutional capacities for attracting global talent. For example, in 2015, Malaysia and China hosted more than 60,000 and 123,000 degree-seeking interna…

What will be the impact of demonetization of Indian currency on Indian students planning to study abroad in 2017? Here is an excerpt of the article published in Forbes by Rahul Choudaha and Di Hu. 
On November 8, the Prime Minster of Indian announced a demonetization policy which made 86% of the currency in circulation invalid as a legal tender. With the application deadlines for most institutions ranging from November to February, the timing of demonetization could not have been worse as many were still making sense of the implications of the recent Presidential elections.

Student visa processes require showing proof of availability of funds for the first year of tuition and living expenses. Given that total annual expenses can range from US$ 30,000 to US$ 70,000, many Indian students were using short-term borrowing for visa approvals and education abroad.

Clearly, in this context demonetization is likely to affect the willingness and ability of Indian students to study abroad, howev…

American universities and colleges face many uncertainties under Trump’ Presidency including the future of the internationalization of higher education. Will universities and colleges become more globally engaged? Will universities and colleges be successful in attracting more international students? Will American students get resources and support to engage in more education abroad experiences?


I have published two commentary pieces and my perspectives have been mentioned in 20 publications including The New York Times, Inside Higher Ed, and Slate.

Times Higher Ed: The politics of the UK and the US will not be welcomed by international students In sum, the sociopolitical environment in the countries that are the leading destinations for international students has dramatically changed. In this turbulent environment, upholding the values of international education and student mobility is more important than ever.University World News: International educators build bridges, not walls Ove…