Passport to new age skills

The 21st Century requires global perspectives with ability to work seamlessly with people from diverse backgrounds. International education is an effective way to acquire skills that are essential if one wants to be a part of global teams. Universities in every corner of the globe welcome Indian students as they add a different perspective to a class. In a new trend, students are opting for unconventional programmes like fashion styling, film-making, script writing, acting, music production, adventure sports, production design, environmental sciences, sustainable energy, culinary arts and games development, among others. Netherlands, for instance, is offering several courses in water management, while France offers an array of luxury brand management programmes. Universities in Germany are making waves with their research initiatives in modern transport engineering, bio-sciences and energy solutions. Caribbean and Russian colleges, on the other hand, are emerging as destinations for medical studies. Sports and allied fields, including sports psychology, sports physiotherapy and sports nutrition, are niche areas in Australian colleges, while marine engineering and marine sciences are on offer at coastal universities (Florida, California, Hawaii, Philippines, Southampton and Gold Coast). If you have suddenly woken up to find out that application deadlines are over, do not panic. There are many universities in the US, Canada, Australia, Singapore and New Zealand who have 'rolling admissions,' which means they will continue to accept applications till they have seats, right up to the end of June for the session starting in Fall 2012. In fact, a large number of universities in each country have multiple intakes throughout the year - in January, May and September - making it convenient for students to apply. UK's common application process, UCAS, is open for international students till June 30, for entry to most degree programmes in September 2012. Also, several universities are using technology to conduct online courses, which carry full credit for students who decide to skip a semester. Even a year's credits may be earned through these various online courses and Advanced Placement programme, making it possible for students to join universities a little later in the academic cycle. Despite high costs of an American education, with an average tuition fee of $30,000 (approx) per year, US still remains a popular choice with Indian students. One of the reasons is the flexibility the universities offer in terms of creating your own programme at the UG level. In the US, you can apply for a major called 'undecided' and after two years of taking classes in various streams, you can declare a specific major. The earliest intake that students can try for is January 2013. For admissions, students will need SAT and TOEFL scores. The popular courses at the UG-level include computer science, engineering, business management and liberal arts. You can consider applying for a course in medicine, dentistry or even marketing in the UK. For automobile engineering, Germany offers several options. And for design and luxury brand management, take a look at colleges in Italy and France. For admissions, you are likely to need TOEFL or IELTS. The degrees are generally of three years' duration (medical/health-related courses are of longer duration with additional entrance criteria) and your fee will be around £15,000 per-annum. For hotel management, Australia is a good option with the main intake in February. There is an option overseas for every requirement. Karan Gupta 14 May 2012 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/Passport-to-new-age-skills/articleshow/13131619.cms