New AIEA survey points to growing US interest in India

New survey results presented at the annual conference of the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA) reflect the growing interest among American educators in recruiting Indian students, particularly at the graduate level. The survey of 83 higher education officials, 90% of whom were from the US, provided a snapshot of how these institutions are working to earn a share of the massive education market in India. •  86% expected to increase their presence in India over the next three years. •  Very few reported having a branch campus in India and few are planning to open an Indian campus. •  46% of colleges with an operational presence in India rated their engagement to be good. The survey results were further illustrated through the panel presentations of institutions with a track record in India, among them was the University of Cincinnati. Jonathan Weller, the director of international admissions at Cincinnati, said the university works with several agents that in combination maintain roughly 100 recruitment offices throughout India. Weller also reported that Cincinnati retains a full-time university employee based in India. While there was unquestionably a great demand for education among Indian students, AIEA members report stronger demand at the graduate level. “India is still a pretty price-sensitive market on the undergraduate level,” Weller said. “We have to deal with the reality, which is that India is a very graduate-oriented market.” A quick review of the university's current enrolment exemplifies this: at Cincinnati, 535 of the 571 Indian students on campus are graduate students. Also on the agenda at the conference was the hot topic of the year, NACAC's panel debate over the use of agents. Source: Inside Higher Education