KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 1

With borders starting to reopen across the world, there has been a significant increase in students' enrolment from Nepal in international universities and colleges.

A research conducted by a leading international education provider Study Group witnessed 36 per cent increment in students' enrolment in foreign universities since 2020.

Among the most sought-after destinations, Australia tops the list as the preferred country of Nepali students for abroad studies.

It is followed by the USA, UK, and Europe.

Majority of Nepali students aspire to study abroad and are fond of experiencing international lifestyle, exploring tremendous job opportunities after completing their courses and are willing to settle abroad. Since last year, 55 per cent of Nepalese students applied for their favourite universities in North America, followed by 45 per cent for UK universities and 10 per cent opted for Australia as their preferred destination. A majority of such students belong to Bagmati, Gandaki and Lumbini provinces.

Students who aspire to earn their degree from developed countries have been largely affected in the year 2020 due to the COV- ID-19 pandemic. Mass vaccination drive and relaxation in visa norms by the destination countries in the latter days have influenced the enrolment decision among students, as per Study Group.

Sharing her insights on the news, Regional Director of South Asia at a leading international education provider Study Group Srini Bandara said, "We are delighted to see such a substantial increase in the number of Nepalese students applying for universities abroad. They are drawn to various countries in North America, UK and Australia primarily for their academic excellence, access to part–time job opportunities and work experience after post-graduation."

Study programmes, including nursing, public health, business administration, engineering, management, accounting, information technology, data science, early childhood education, urban planning, among others, remain some of the most popular subjects among Nepali students.

A version of this article appears in the print on November 02, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.