10 reasons why you should consider studying in Australia...

pratikbharti

MP Guru
Australia is fast becoming a preferred destination in terms of education among Indian students. Currently, this "land of kangaroos" attracts the third largest number of international students in the English-speaking world after the US and the UK. In some countries Australia is the first choice of study destination.

Australia offers an educational experience that makes a real difference. It provides a unique kind of education and a learning style that encourages one to be innovative, creative and think independently. Graduates from Australia are very successful in finding jobs and hold prominent positions worldwide. Additionally, they are readily accepted for postgraduate study at leading international universities.

Why Australia?
Australia is a dynamic, vibrant country with energetic, friendly people. Multicultural Australia is English-speaking and a safe and friendly society in which students can learn and travel freely.

Australia also offers excellent value for money and a standard of living that is among the highest in the world. Living expenses and tuition costs in Australia are considerably less expensive than the UK and USA. The other advantages for this country in the Asia Pacific Rim include paid internships while studying.

Let us explore why Australia now has around 38,4000 international students from over 140 countries in disciplines at every level of education, including short-term English language courses, Bachelor and Masters Degrees right through to Doctoral Degrees.


1. Excellence
The Australian approach to vocational and technical education is now recognised as among the best and most innovative in the world. It enjoys an international reputation for excellence in all areas of education and training. Australian universities are widely recognised for excellence in many disciplines.

Institutions deliver practical and career-orientated training so graduates can be confident they have the skills demanded by employers. It has played an important role in Australia's economic performance, by greatly increasing the skill of workers and contributing to improved productivity.

2. Innovation
Australia has a reputation for adopting new technologies at a faster rate than in most other countries and enters the new millennium with one of the highest rates of internet access in the world. Facilities for teaching, training and research are world-class in terms of state-of-the-art laboratories and classrooms, outstanding libraries and modern technology.

3. Qualification recognition
Australian qualifications are recognised by employers and leading educational institutions in many countries around the world. Moreover, most courses and training undertaken by international students in Australia are covered by Australian Qualification Framework (AQF). It is a system of learning which is authorised by the Australian government.

4. Quality assurances
Australia's national quality assurance system is unique both in its structure and its rigour. International students, and even their parents, enjoy an unparalleled level of service and financial protection. The country is committed to providing quality education to students -- be it national or international.

The Australian Quality Training Framework has been set up by the government to strengthen the quality assurance processes in education. Australia provides the world's most rigourous protection for international students through ESOS.

5. Multicultural society
Australia is a safe, multicultural, friendly and harmonious society. Australians value the wealth of cultural diversity and social sophistication that international students bring to the campuses and communities.

Great care is taken in looking after international students and helping them to adjust to the Australian way of life. Australia has a low crime rate and strict gun control laws providing a safe environment.

One's study plans are also not likely to be upset by political turmoil. People from about 200 countries have migrated to Australia, making Australia one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. The multicultural nature of Australian society means international students are readily accepted by other students, and teachers are experienced in teaching classes to students from many countries.

6. Visa red-tapism

Most of us are familiar with the high-handedness of the American and the British visa officials. On any given day, a genuine visa application may get turned down for reasons best known to them. This is gradually going in favour of new academic destinations.

Students are more or less frustrated about the lengthy and costly visa application procedure for the US and UK. The Guardian has recently published a report saying UK visas should address the problems encountered by one-third of students in obtaining visas -- 18 per cent found it a lengthy and difficult process even though their first application was eventually successful, 8 per cent were initially refused but received a visa on a second application and 5 per cent received one after appealing their initial refusal.

7. Cost of living
In Australia, a student gets value for money in terms of cost of living. The conversion factor is cheaper compared to the UK or US.

8. Job opportunities

While the UK closes doors for doctors and the US focuses more on IT professionals, international students have started to hit upon Australia which offers more job facilities in multiple disciplines. Be it in agriculture or aeronautics, accounts or actuaries, Australia offer work permits to international students like none other.

9. Possibility of more scholarships
Australia being comparatively new in terms of attracting foreign students offers more scholarship opportunities compared to the United States or the UK. It, however, needs to be kept in mind that Australia is a less populated yet vast country which can fit in employment opportunities at a rate faster than any other part of the world.

10. More research opportunities
Australia offers research opportunities to eligible professionals willing to enhance their career. The biggest advantage is Australia offers country-based research that is spread all over the continent. Selection for these highly regarded research opportunities are based on merit and is highly competitive, and a proven track record of academic excellence is a pre-requisite.

Despite a decrease in the number and proportion of student traffic, the British and the American officials seem reluctant to take a note of it although university officials project the dip in revenue. Slowly the wheel is turning full circle. Many a change will define the future of academic destinations for international students -- the pattern right now strongly directs towards the continent of Australia.

Raj Ganguly is CEO of Raj Ganguly and Associates (Management Consultants). He is an overseas education expert.


SOURCE: http://www.rediff.com
 

pratikbharti

MP Guru
Study Abroad: 10 popular programmes in Australia

International students in Australia comprise 36 percent of the higher education enrollment. For every three college/university students in the land down under, one of them is studying abroad!

At present, the number of international student's touches 300,000. Indian students, with 42,000, is the number one exporter to Australia, followed by China.

These numbers tell a story. Australia has come up in recent times to compete with the US and the UK in attracting foreign students. It not only provides world-class education but also offers lucrative career options to students who prove themselves.

It is important for the students aspiring to go overseas -- particularly Australia -- to know about the range of courses and the future career prospects. The advantage they enjoy today is a wide variety of subjects to choose from depending on their areas of interest.

Before you can step inside the classroom, however, you must first qualify and clear a few hurdles.

An Australian educational qualification conventionally leads to permanent residency and work visa. On completion of a course in Australia, International students who wish to stay will have to apply for a work visa and work in their relevant field of interest for at least one year to be eligible to apply for a permanent residency or visa.

Let us embark on a journey and explore a few courses in Australia popular among Indian students. Australia offers considerable advantage for international and foreign students, as its universities are held in high repute internationally, and offers an enormous range of subjects in every discipline.

Business

The most popular and sought after courses among Indian students are that of business. Most students look for a major that will help them develop their managerial skills and focus. Needless to mention that Business related courses help them to land up with lucrative and coveted jobs. Let us glance through a few areas of major in business courses:

  • Banking and Finance
  • Management Information Systems
  • Accounting
  • International Business
  • Human Resources
  • Marketing
  • Business Management and Administration

A good number of Indian students travel to Australia for MBA. The MBA journey begins with proper planning which requires an understanding of all the important variables that can impact on the decision making process. There is another vitally important aspect why the location of MBA is important. A good MBA programme is not simply about what you study, but also about who you met and network with for future benefit.

Almost all major universities in Australia offer MBA programmes varying in length from 18 months to five years depending on whether students are full-time or part-time. MBA programmes are made up of a mix of both full and part-time students, domestic and international.

Information Technology

The most preferred courses among Indian youth today is Information Technology. IT courses in Australia is a mix of technical knowledge and theory added with practical experience. The practical nature these courses mean that it produces that kind of graduates the employers want. There would be long list of courses one can choose in IT depending on budget and time span.

Engineering

The next major area of interest among Indian students is engineering. This field is popular among Indian students as the areas of specialisation as well as job opportunities are too many. Let us see the areas of specialisation:

  • Computer Science Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Industrial Engineering
  • Metallurgical Engineering
  • Aerospace Engineering

Agricultural Science

Australia with its vast greenery has loads of opportunities in Agriculture. This may be a comparatively new area for Indian students but slowly gaining popularity primarily because of an assurance of a job. With more and more students congregating for MBAs and other Master's, the competition in this field is comparatively low.

Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure Management


The development of university-level hospitality and tourism degrees in Australia has been a recent phenomenon in comparison with the United States and United Kingdom. This particular area has become trendy due to good career prospects and employment potential. Be it in Airline industry, be it in casinos, be it in five-star hotels, be it on cruises the list is endless. There are short courses in the form of Diplomas or Advanced Diplomas as well as long ones in the form of Bachelors Degrees and Masters.

Other than these there are five more occupational courses which are gaining popularity among Indian students.

Hairdressing


A recent and new course has paved its way: Hairdressing. Students willing to do something new and unconventional are flocking in for this career oriented course. There are short certificate courses or relatively longer diploma version and once a candidate passes out there are a number of opportunities waiting for them.

Commercial Pilot License Courses

There are dreamers and there are ones who dare. This is a vocational course for those who dare. Dare to fly, dare to take risks, dare to make the sky your home. It is a bit expensive course, but once you pass out, your life will definitely not be the same again.

Nursing

The profession of nursing is gaining grounds more because of its scope and opportunities. It is a well-paid profession in Australia as compared to India.

Photography Courses

This is a course mostly for professional photographers who want to upgrade their skills. However, that does not necessarily mean fresher's cannot gain entry. Professional photography has become a very demanding profession world over so there is no dearth of opportunity even if one is a freelancer.

Arts

Artistically inclined students could consider any of the following.

  • Fashion Designing
  • Interior Decoration
  • Jewelry Designing
  • Graphic Designing
  • Film Making

Not everyone is keen but all of us are aware of these professions. They are highly paid professionals be it in India or abroad.

A Word of Caution

Finally, it is equally important to know that even a right qualification might not get you the job you actually want. Unknowingly, we miss opportunities for the right job, here's why.

Five Common Mistakes Job Seekers Make


Most graduate job seekers miss out employment opportunities abroad not because they are unsuitable for the position but are not aware of the application and interview process of that particular country. Let us quickly find out the top five mistakes so that you don't miss the opportunity.

Little or No Research - Internationally, it is expected that you should do a bit of research about the organisation you want to join. One of the major problems Indian students particularly face is lack of understanding about the organisation which is interpreted as a lack of serious interest about the job.

Generic Cover Letter - A common mistake most Indian students make is not customising the cover letter and application. This projects an impression that applications are sent off generically or sent in mass.

Typos -
Typographical or spelling errors are common among most Indian students. Mistakes in resume or cover letter are considered unprofessional.

Lack of Demonstration - Failure to demonstrate clearly the skills and knowledge areas by Indian students is a serious issue in the selection process.

Dog's Breakfast - Lack of presentation skills like unclear structure or too much unnecessary information makes it unimpressive.

These suggestions are not meant for Australia but anywhere in the globe. Next time when you apply for a job please keep these points in mind; you may possibly land up with the dream job.

Raj Ganguly is CEO of Raj Ganguly and Associates (Management Consultants) in Kolkata. He is an overseas education expert.
 

gaurav200x

Gaurav Mittal
Re: Study Abroad: 10 popular programmes in Australia

Australia being comparatively new in terms of attracting foreign students offers more scholarship opportunities compared to the United States or the UK. It, however, needs to be kept in mind that Australia is a less populated yet vast country which can fit in employment opportunities at a rate faster than any other part of the world.

Thanks a lot pratik..... This is some very valuable piece of information for all the aspirants trying their luck for Australia.

Keep rocking.... !! :smile:
 

venn_kat

New member
If Australian universities are really that good. How is it that most of these institutes are not among the top 100 MBA institutes in the world
 

pratikbharti

MP Guru
If Australian universities are really that good. How is it that most of these institutes are not among the top 100 MBA institutes in the world

thanks a lot for your concern and the concept that u have pointed out...

here the comparison is between the universities located in australia only...
so please dont compare it with others in the world...
this information is provided for those who aspire to go to australia specifically for their studies... n this article is trying to help them out to select the best out of those located in australia...

Thanks & Regards,
Pratik Bharti
 

gaurav200x

Gaurav Mittal
If Australian universities are really that good. How is it that most of these institutes are not among the top 100 MBA institutes in the world
I am sure, you've just read one magazine. I would insist following around 2-3 different magazines... and see website rankings too. I am sure there would be at least 3-4 australian universities in the Top 100.
 
Top