china: Cheaper study destination? Indian students prefer East Europe to China

China is losing its attractiveness as a study destination for Indian students with students looking for cheaper destinations outside India increasingly applying to countries like Poland, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Uzbekistan and even parts of Russia, foreign education consultants said.

This is primarily because many students enrolled in China have their studies delayed by over two years due to prolonged closures amid Beijing’s zero-Covid policy, consultants said. Ongoing protests and riots across the country in opposition to its draconian lockdowns may further dissuade Indian foreign education aspirants from opting for China, they added.

“Given the huge problems faced by Indian students due to Xi’s (Chinese President Xi Jinping) ‘Zero Covid’ policy, Indian students are not keen on studying in China anymore,” said Karan Gupta, founder of study abroad career consultant Karan Gupta Consulting. “They are looking at cheap medical courses in Eastern Europe in countries such as Poland, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and so on. Parents are worried about the safety of their children and hence are actively discouraging students from studying in China,” he added.

China has recently opened up their international border and started issuing visa to their international students. However, the current political situation is bound to negatively impact the admission rates in Chinese universities, experts said.
“Considering the current political scenario in China, we strongly believe that it is not a wise decision to invest your time and finances into pursuing your further education at a Chinese university,” said Vibha Kagzi, founder of ReachIvy.com. “The current situation is not conducive to pursuing an education in China and students stand to incur heavy financial losses if the political situation worsens and if they are forced to return to their home countries,” she said.

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Kagzi is advising students to pursue their education in other Southeast Asian and East Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea, and Singapore that currently offer, according to her, “much better educational and career prospects compared to China”.