Studying Abroad Amidst Pandemic? Time To Develop Skills For A New Future

Studying Abroad Amidst Pandemic? Time To Develop Skills For A New Future

For thousands of students who travel worldwide in pursuit of higher education, the Coronavirus pandemic has thrown a spanner in their plans as travel restrictions and stringent safety protocols remain in force across the world. But with the whole world coming to terms with the global health crisis, hopes of resumption of the academic calendar have brightened – though slowly.

Indian Government’s decision for a staggered opening up of domestic travel sector has now provided a further boost but all eyes would be on international travel as people and professionals – and students, of course – look to restart their lives and work. 

According to a Ministry of External Affairs estimate, the number of students pursuing higher education programs abroad stood at 10.9 lakhs by July 2019. In terms of students flying abroad for an international degree, India stands second among all the countries. It is only natural that the large student community looking to professional courses abroad is anxious and in a dilemma about its next course of action. However, the realisation has dawned on them that the coronavirus scare is here to stay and they need to move on with their plans. 

My City Links caught up with Ashirbad Parida, an Odia professional from Ahmedabad who has enrolled for an International MBA program with Emlyon Business School, France. For Ashirbad the choice of Emlyon was clear– he wanted to go to a non-English speaking country for his International MBA degree because it is not just studies but also a cultural adventure for him. “What better than France! It is the perfect place to study and explore as the language and French culture are quite interesting,” he explains.

Ashirbad was mentally prepared to travel to France when the COVID crisis broke. Although he was a bit worried in the beginning, it has dawned on him lately that the virus is here to stay and life must go on. “I don’t see any problem in going ahead as the only thing that is going to be different from now on is we will have to take a lot more precautions,” he says. He is happy that the school reached out to him to allay his fears and concerns which also helped him a lot. 

Ashirbad’s batch is scheduled to commence from September and the plan remains unchanged though the visa proceedings are yet to begin. France has been one of the many countries in Europe to have started flattening the Coronavirus curve. Lyon, where the school is located, is also in the green zone.

However, concerns surrounding international travels still persist and every country is trying to find ways to ease the tension around it, especially for students. India and China are the major Asian countries from where students go to Europe and America for higher studies. 

Talking to MCL, Ashley Fernandes, India head for Emlyon Business School said: ”Students are like us; the COVID 19 pandemic has resulted in a complex situation for everyone. The students who are about to begin their courses are looking for answers regarding the protocols to be followed and how things will shape up in the coming weeks and months.” 

The school, one of the oldest and leading business schools in Europe, initiated a special webinar series, ‘Care, Share and Dare Talks’ to reach out to the Indian students and address all their queries. Emlyon began this series of webinars because apart from caring for the students, Ashley says, it is important to share relevant information with them and encourage them to make a move that will put them on a solid footing for their future. 

“The question now is, should we be petrified of the virus or choose to better equip ourselves by learning and developing skills for a new future. We are helping our students by providing psychological counselling because we care for everyone’s mental wellness. This crisis has turned every business model of the past on its head and has propelled us towards a more digitised future,” he elaborates.

Academic experts say the current crisis has presented an opportunity to evolve techniques, pedagogy and infrastructure. Dipti Sahoo, a senior academic consultant agrees. “International universities are now ideating and innovating keeping the uncertain situation in mind. But they are not too keen on deferred admissions as they do not want to lose out on the best students from around the world.  Some of them are already contemplating online classes for the first semester if travel restrictions remain,” she says.

Ashley believes this is the perfect time for students to invest in higher education as the world struggles to find its way through the COVID 19 situation and a recession is imminent.

“It is expected that the global economy will enter into a recession soon. This is the time for students and professionals alike to invest in higher education so that by the time they complete their courses, brighter opportunities would be waiting for them to tap into with the world poised for a new start. This is precisely why we are doing our best to help students ease their stress, be it mental, financial or in the form of other relaxations,” he sums up. 

Emlyon Business School, which has a presence in three continents, is also the first international business school to have collaborated with the Department of Sports and Youth Services in Odisha, Xavier University and KJS Ahluwalia Group for a Centre of Excellence in Sports Management in Bhubaneswar. 

The Centre has successfully completed a three-month certificate programme in sports management which was launched in October 2019 and also organised India’s first sports and innovation festival, ‘SPORT IT 2020’ in Bhubaneswar in January 2020.