The initiative, first mooted by the Kerala State Higher Education Council, has been sanctioned by the state government to improve campus diversity and enable its students to work in a global society. 

The government in Kerala aims to attract more international students to the region, which is home to several prestigious higher education institutions, through the program by reaching out to administrations in different countries and showcasing the courses on offer.

Accordingly, it’s expected that international students will be encouraged to join short-term courses in the state.

The Study in Kerala program has been introduced in light of a recent increase in applications from international students

As per the latest data, India is home to nearly 47,000 international students, the majority of them from Nepal (13,126), Afghanistan (3,151), the USA (2,893), Bangladesh (2,606), and the UAE (2,287). 

With Karnataka hosting the largest number of them at over 6,000 students – followed by Maharashtra, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh – Kerala plans to better its performance in appealing to international students compared to other states. 

The recent measures are already working in Kerala’s favour. 

The state-run public university, the University of Kerala, recorded a surge in international student applications, receiving over 2,600 applications for 2024/25 compared to 1,600 last year. 

On the other hand, Mahatma Gandhi University and Cochin University of Science and Technology, also state-run universities, registered 885 and 1,600 international applications this year, according to a report by The New Indian Express. 

“International students, most of [whom] come from South Asian and African countries, are attracted by Kerala’s cosmopolitan nature. There are also many institutions which host students from the US and Europe on a short-term basis,” Eldho Mathews, programme officer for internationalisation, KSHEC, told The PIE News. 

“Though earlier institutions took the initiative to invite students for short-term or faculty-led programmes, now the higher education department is implementing a state-level mechanism to attract both short-term and long-term students.”

According to Mathews, improved national and global rankings of universities in Kerala also play a role in international students choosing the South Indian state. 

While Kerala University jumped 16 positions to be ranked 24th in the India Rankings 2023 under the National Institutional Ranking Framework, MGU secured the third position in India in the Times Higher Education’s Asia University rankings this year. 

But it’s not just public universities that are successful in gaining international students. Independent institutions in Kerala now admit a significant chunk of the applicants. 

International students, most of [whom] come from South Asian and African countries, are attracted by Kerala’s cosmopolitan nature.

Eldho Mathews, KSHEC

For example, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, an independent institution in Kerala’s Kochi district, has seen around 60 international students enrol in its programmes this year. 

“Kerala’s education infrastructure and the connectivity of its cities to other countries has also contributed to the rise in international students,” stated Eldho. 

According to sources, the state higher education council is working on a strategy report, which will be submitted to the Kerala government. 

The report will have more suggestions on improving the number of international applicants for various programmes in Kerala. 

Though UG and PG courses in engineering, management and finance are popular among international students, some students are now eyeing doctoral studies in the state. 

“You won’t see such a vast amount of reference books and materials in universities in my home country,” said Regina Babu, a Tanzanian student at CUSAT, as quoted by The New Indian Express. 

Currently, international students cannot work in India on a student visa – with post-study work visas being a rarity. 

But that has to change, according to Sabu Thomas, chairman, Trivandrum Engineering Science and Technology Research Park. 

“Kerala definitely has been doing well in higher education with universities having good national and international rankings. We should aim to provide work permits to international students which will enable them to work for 12 hours a week,” stated Thomas, who is also the former vice chancellor at MGU.

The trend of international students coming to Kerala is in stark contrast to the youth population from the state choosing to pursue education abroad. 

According to the Kerala Migration Survey 2023 report, the number of student emigrants has risen from 1,29,763 in 2018 to about 2,50,000 in 2023.

The report further highlighted that while there’s a rise in outbound students from India, Kerala is poised to become one of the top states in terms of following the trend. 

“This reflects the desire for high-quality education and better career opportunities among the students of Kerala,” read an excerpt from the report.