The current health crisis has significantly shaken up the traditional global higher education ecosystem in many ways – from the delivery and cost of degrees, through the emergence of new, credible alternatives to universities, through to major geopolitical shifts in the knowledge economy as traditionally strong western institutions are disproportionately harmed by the crisis and its economic fallout.

But the key change that will perhaps have the biggest impact for Indian students keen to study abroad will be the fall in the overall number of international students. The number of internationally mobile students will be depressed by the crisis, certainly in the short to medium term, and perhaps also in the longer term too, as students re-think their options after this period of extreme disruption. Major universities in the most popular destination countries for students, particularly those in the US, UK and Australia which depend heavily on international student fee income, will be working harder, and competing with each other to recruit international students. This may help put students and their families in the driving seat, giving them more consumer power, and potentially increasing their choices and opportunities.

Rapid rise in remote learning

Further to this, the rapid rise and development of capabilities in online, remote learning will get a wider range of options for international students. This could open up access to a range of prestigious institutions that may previously have been out of reach to many students, through the cost of traditional, on-campus learning, travel and the tough and often prohibitive visa processes.

Students in India will find that the world-famous Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings offer the biggest and most comprehensive view of global higher education to date – with more than 1,500 institutions from 93 countries evaluated across our 13 gold standard performance metrics. This year, the options and opportunities presented to ambitious students by the rankings could be the most promising and exciting ever.

Universities in the US, UK and Australia that depend heavily on international student fee income. Phil Baty, chief knowledge officer, Times Higher Education, London explains why universities will be competing with each other to recruit international students

Year of Innovation

There is a sense that perhaps a decade worth of development and progress towards remote, online learning has happened in just a few months, as a result of the pandemic. There will be rapid technological development, to ensure that online learning dramatically improves, and delivers great outcomes for students. In China, remote learning has improved students’ overall engagement and interactions in class. It is enhancing their overall learning experience. Done well, technology can help ensure a more personalised student experience, with highly tailored attention to individuals and interventions. It can open up more inspiring collaborations with other students.