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Institute of
International Education
809 United Nations Plaza
7th Floor
New York, NY 10017
USA
Tel: +1 (212) 984 5367
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DESTINATION INDIA: Opportunities and Challenges for Expanding Study Abroad in a Non-Traditional Location |
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By Girish Kaul, Jenika Kaul, and Jane Schukoske
One student recently said it best: “India is so in right now!” Global investors are eyeing India’s markets. The Bush administration is courting India with a deal on nuclear technology and is supporting India’s Agricultural Knowledge Initiative. Hindi is among the critical languages which the U.S. Government encourages Americans to study. Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai are frequent stops for U.S. university presidents as they pursue partnerships with Indian institutions. Bhangra music and Bollywood movies are making their way into American clubs and cinemas. Even walking into the Gap or Payless Shoe Source, one finds kurta shirts and juti shoes adorned with Indian color and sparkle. This trend is reflected in the field of study abroad as well – according to the 2005 Open Doors Report, the number of U.S. students choosing to go to India increased by 65% from 2002/2003 to 2003-2004.
While this increase is encouraging, the number itself is still strikingly small (1,157) especially when compared with the number of Indian students who study in the United States (80,466 in 2004-5). The number is equally striking in comparison to the number of U.S. students who studied in other “non-traditional” study abroad destinations such as China (4,737), South Africa (2,009) and Brazil (1,444). At the very least, it shows that there are too few Americans with firsthand knowledge of the second most populous country and one of the fastest growing economies in the world. This article will discuss the field of study abroad in India by considering the following questions:
1) What does India offer to U.S. students?
2) What are the challenges to expanding study abroad in India?
3) What can we learn from the Indian experience about study abroad in non-traditional locations?
What does India offer to U.S. students?
India, as a growing, multi-cultural, multi-religious, secular democracy, offers knowledge, sites, experts and perspectives for students in many fields. India has the second largest growing economy after China, and is generating interesting insights to business and management studies about globalization. With a population of over one billion and a location in a strategically important region, India is increasingly recognized as a global power. India’s higher education system is one of the largest in the world, including some of the premier institutions in management and technology. Studies in subjects such as economic development, political science, agricultural economics, public health and international security prove to be as intriguing as the more traditional study abroad fields of religion, culture and history. Language and communication difficulties are few for U.S. students as English is widely spoken and is often the only language of communication between different regional and ethnic groups. Higher education is generally conducted in English, and English-language resources are readily available at universities.
Perhaps the best way to describe what India offers to U.S. students is to tour some of the programs:
• In Jaipur, Rajasthan, students on the Minnesota Studies in International Development program get hands-on experience in international development through site visits to local NGOs, home stays, and a month-long internship.
• Engineering and computer science students at Purdue University can take advantage of India’s vast resources in these fields through study at the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai and the Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi.
• The Himalayan city of Shimla is home to a legal studies program facilitated by the Touro Law Center and approved by the American Bar Association. This summer program explores issues of comparative constitutional law, international human rights, international criminal law, and comparative legal studies of gender and race.
• A year-long program run by the University of Wisconsin encourages students to pursue individual interests through tutorials, fieldwork, and intensive language courses. The program is offered in the holy Hindu city of Varanasi with Hindi study, and the southern temple town of Madurai with Tamil study.
• A Michigan State University short-term program exposes students to India’s hospitality market – one of the fastest growing in the world. This summer program is housed in a palace-turned-hotel and teaches students about lodging development and management in an international context.
• In Kolkata (Calcutta), students in the International Partnership for Service Learning and Leadership program volunteer for the Mother Teresa’s Homes, while taking courses on contemporary India, religion, and modern history.
• Antioch College’s Buddhist Studies program is offered in the small town where Buddha found enlightenment. While living in a Buddhist monastery in Bodh Gaya, students in this program wake up for meditation at 5:30 a.m. and study philosophy, anthropology and Tibetan language.
• Direct enrollment at an Indian institution is offered through a number of U.S. universities, providing U.S. students with the opportunity to take courses in economics, politics, literature and other disciplines with their Indian peers.
Though these examples provide merely a glimpse into the varied U.S. study abroad program options in India, they offer insight into the diversity of experience that the field has to offer.
In addition to these programs offered by U.S. universities, there are also programs run by Indian universities that are open to American students. The University of Hyderabad and Goa are successfully running “Study India Programs” – short-term programs for foreign students, including those from the United States. The Indian Institutes of Technologies (IITs) also have programs which are open to Americans. The University Grants Commission (UGC), a statutory body of the Government of India for coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of university education in India, is working with universities to increase enrollment of foreign students and to develop courses that meet these students’ unique needs. A list of 65 universities in the country that offer admission to foreign students in different courses is available at www.ugc.ac.in/studyindia.
What are the challenges to expanding study abroad in India?
One of the biggest challenges to study abroad participation in India is capturing the interest of U.S. students to increase demand. American students generally receive little exposure to the South Asian region throughout their education. Indian languages have rarely been taught, even at the college level. The media has provided limited coverage of India and what has been covered has been overwhelmingly negative, focusing on India-Pakistan security issues, communal violence, natural disasters, or poverty. Health and safety concerns worry students – and their parents. On a larger scale, U.S.-India relations were quite strained until recent years and there were few partnerships between Indian and American organizations, governments and universities. Overall, because of these factors, India has appeared unfamiliar, far away, dangerous, and dirty to the average student. It’s a place on the other side of the world that students don’t know much about, and they haven’t generally been encouraged to think that it’s important for them to learn more.
However, there are reasons to be optimistic as these trends begin to change. The news coverage of India has become much more nuanced in the last couple of years, with stories about economic development, information technology, outsourcing, and India’s role in the global political system. Hindi classes are becoming more frequent at the college level and federal funding is being directed to support the development of more Hindi-language resources. Many Americans now interact regularly with Indians within their own communities and school districts, as Indian-Americans are one of the fastest-growing – and wealthiest and best-educated – ethnic groups in the U.S. The U.S. government’s new foreign policy approach toward the region is to “un-hyphenate” India and Pakistan, so that relations can be improved with each country individually and outside of a security framework. Advancements in telecommunication technology make India feel “closer” with internet cafes and international phone calls accessible even in India’s smaller towns. Health and safety risks are confronted head on by study abroad program directors: students are oriented before and during their program, and programs have contingency plans in place in the case of an incident. The importance of exposure to India has become clearer for students – especially in the fields of business, international affairs, and science and technology – as they work to prepare themselves for global competitiveness. International educators are now challenged to translate these developments into expanded student participation.
On the supply-side, study abroad also faces challenges within the Indian higher education system. Many of these challenges stem from incongruence between the Indian and the U.S. approaches to higher education. For example, the two systems have different academic calendars, grading procedures, and methods of instruction. U.S. students are used to being able to pick and choose their courses, while Indian students generally take sequenced courses, mostly within their discipline of study. Facilities on Indian campuses are often not suitable for foreign students, with dorms and cafeterias offering standards of living below those to which U.S. students are accustomed. In terms of recruitment, outreach to U.S. students and institutions has been limited.
While these challenges exist, Indian administrators have a strong recognition of the value of internationalization to the Indian higher education system, both financially and academically. A handful of Indian universities have been successful in confronting these obstacles and creating successful programs for U.S. students. The Ministry of Human Resource Development and the University Grants Commission (UGC), the government bodies responsible for formulation of higher education policy in India, have been working to address issues in the Indian system and to increase outreach to potential U.S. partners. They have inventoried interest from Indian universities in hosting U.S. students for study abroad programs and have been working to develop curriculum ideas, improve facilities, and streamline credit transfer. UGC’s Committee to Promote Indian Higher Education Abroad sent a delegation to 2006 NAFSA’s Annual Conference, the third year in a row that India has been involved with the conference to market the opportunities for study abroad in India. The next challenge lies in expanding the number of universities involved in these efforts, beyond the flagship institutions that are currently involved, through increased training and sharing of best practices.
What can we learn from the Indian experience about study abroad in non-traditional destinations?
Looking at the current state of study abroad in India is helpful not only in considering ways to increase student participation in India, but also in reflecting upon general issues in study abroad in non-traditional destinations.
First, substantive dialogue between U.S. administrators and their host country partners is essential in order to ensure that study abroad programs foster the type of cross-cultural understanding they seek to create. Though most study abroad programs – and their administrators – enter host-countries with good intentions, there needs to be recognition that study abroad is not always perceived as an all-positive proposition. In the India case, as the Indian higher education changes to adapt to the needs of U.S. students, there are prideful efforts to avoid what many perceive as an extension of U.S. domination of political, economic, and educational systems around the world. Indian higher education administrators should have significant input into programs in their country and should receive equitable compensation, so that study abroad programs are a multi-cultural collaboration, not just an American perspective on the study of India. As programs in non-traditional destinations are developed, U.S. study abroad administrators need to embody the type of open-mindedness they try to impart to their student participants.
Marketing of and support for study abroad to non-traditional locations require special care. Given that participation rates for programs in non-traditional locations are relatively low, most U.S. institutions offer few programs to such destinations. In the case of India, the number of programs offered by U.S. universities is quite limited and many of these programs are not filled to capacity. To increase participation rates in non-traditional destinations, U.S. universities and colleges should be more flexible in credit transfer for study abroad programs, thus offering students an opportunity to participate in accredited programs not offered directly through their home university. In doing so, U.S. institutions would likely find more participants for their programs and more opportunities for program development. Equally important, it would give students more choice in finding a program that meets their professional, academic and geographic interests.
Study abroad needs to attract new audiences. Study abroad traditionally targeted liberal arts students, and those students continue to enroll. U.S. universities now are reconsidering their international educational collaborations with increasing awareness of global competition. It appears to be an opportune time to design study abroad programs offering career-relevant exposure through internships and study of contemporary life. Administrators should consider this as they design programs in non-traditional locations for a more diverse and demanding group of students.
Finally, as programs are developed, particularly in non-traditional destinations, there needs to be a redefinition of the “value” of study abroad. Universities (and their students, faculty and administrators) need to look at the holistic experience of study abroad when considering why credit should be granted for these types of experiences. The academics are certainly a crucial component of these programs and there should be definite efforts to ensure that they meet the standards set by the university. However, one must not overlook the value of the development of the skills and knowledge that come from learning about another culture through extended contact with its peoples, sites and beliefs. This is something much harder to quantify in a letter grade. Students can’t be graded on their adaptability, cross-cultural interactions, and changed perspectives, but these are ultimately the reasons why study abroad is encouraged and why students choose to participate. If programs in India and elsewhere can articulate this value to students, professors, and employers, participation will increase.
The case of study abroad in India offers interesting insight on the issues facing the field in a time of increasing student participation, innovative program development, and increased cross-cultural interactions. Participation rates in India show that there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about study abroad opportunities in non-traditional destinations, but also serve as a reminder of the challenges that the field still faces.
Girish Kaul is Program Officer for the U.S. Program at the U.S. Educational Foundation in India (USEFI) in New Delhi. Jenika Kaul is the Program Coordinator for South Asia Studies at the Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies. Jane Schukoske was Executive Director of the U.S. Educational Foundation in India (USEFI) in New Delhi.
This article originally appeared in the Fall 2006 edition of IIENetworker Magazine.
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