MUMBAI: The latest report on student mobility for 2024 has unveiled a significant surge in international students flocking to the city, with more than 412,000 students from across the globe currently pursuing education in the country.
This surge reflects a 3% uptick in just one year and a remarkable 17% rise over the past five years. Amidst the aftermath of Covid-19, the education sector is grappling with uncertainties but showing signs of recovery and progress.
Foreign students now constitute 14% of the total higher education student population in France, underscoring the nation’s allure as a premier educational hub. Predominantly hailing from European, sub-Saharan African, and North African nations, international students from India are notably offsetting the decline in Chinese student numbers.
France solidifies its standing as the 6th top host country for global students, with Morocco, Algeria, and China emerging as the primary countries of origin for foreign students enrolled in French institutions. Concurrently, French students are actively embracing international academic pursuits, with a staggering 105,000 students embarking on educational journeys abroad.
As a source of mobile students, France ranks 6th globally, displaying a penchant for neighboring and French-speaking territories like Belgium, the United Kingdom, Canada, Switzerland, and Spain. Furthermore, France spearheads the provision of Erasmus+ mobility initiatives, witnessing a substantial surge in student and staff participation in 2022, with a preference for destinations such as Spain, Germany, and Italy.
Despite the disruptions inflicted by the pandemic, the landscape of global study mobility is gradually recuperating. While prominent host nations like the United States, Australia, Canada, and Japan observed a dip in student influx in 2021, countries like the United Kingdom, Germany, and Turkey continued to attract a growing number of students. Notably, France remained a steadfast choice for international students amidst these dynamics.
Recent assessments signal a resurgence in student mobility post-2021, with students gravitating back towards major host countries. However, evolving public policies in nations like Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands could potentially influence the trajectory of student mobility in the foreseeable future. Insights from UNESCO, the OECD, and Eurostat underscore the divergent impacts of Covid-19 on global student mobility, with some nations witnessing declines while others sustain their appeal to students. As the realm of international education undergoes transformations, the forthcoming years are poised to witness shifts in student mobility trends.