European Higher Education Virtual Fair (EHEVF) India and South Asia 2016

The Delegation of the European Union to India is organizing a series of webinars from 20-23 September, 2016 as part of the European Higher Education Virtual Fair India and South Asia 2016 to provide a virtual dialogue platform between European higher education institutions (HEIs) and Indian/South Asian students.

H. E. Mr Tomasz Kozlowski, Ambassador of the European Union, stated: “"Europe today has 4000 higher education institutions, from top-level research establishments to small, specialized colleges, hosting about one-fifth of the world's students (20 million) and 1.5 million academicians. It is recognized as the leading higher educational destination for international students, offering both cutting edge education, value for money and rich cultural experience. Every year, 1.5 million international students come to Europe, of which around 50,000 are Indians. Through the European Higher Education Virtual Fair, we seek to provide a platform to the aspiring students to interact with the leading universities across Europe and explore the educational, scholarship and career opportunities available in Europe."

The EHEVF 2016 consists of an online portal www.study-europe.net which hosts web-pages of more than 180 institutions and two series of webinars in July and September 2016 wherein participating institutions are able to address Indian students and answer questions in real time. The September series of webinarswill have subject sessions on popular courses sought by Indian / international students in European universities such as Engineering, Computer Science and Information Technology, Business management and marketing / MBA and medicine and health. Each subject webinar session comprises of a two-hour session with four slots during which different European universities will address the students about the opportunities they offer to international students. The student will thus be able to talk to different European universities in real time, from the comfort of his or her home or hostel and without spending any money whatsoever.

Similarly, there will be Country sessions with presentations from EU Member States including Germany, France, Netherlands, Sweden and Slovenia.  There will also be Business sessions in which representatives of leading European business organisations including will talk to the students about the career prospects available after higher education in Europe. There will also be sessions to present leading HEIs, and thematic sessions on research opportunities, scholarships, and life as a student in Europe.

Click here to visit detailed webinar schedule 

EHEVF 2016 follows from the success of the first ever Virtual Fair (EHEVF 2015) held form 26-29 Nov 2015 which attracted the participation of more than 3200 Indian/ South Asian students in 75 webinar sessions involving more than 30 EU HEIs.  In the July 2016 series of webinars held from 13-16 July more than 1450 students participated. The webinars are aimed at Indian high school and college students looking to go abroad for higher education.

Europe has more to offer than many young people in India realize. It has 4000 universities and 19 million students. Every year, some 200,000 international students come to Europe, of which some 50,000 are Indian. Europe has more world-class universities than any other region – with 42 of the top 100, compared to 39 in the US, and 104 universities in the top 200, compared to only 63 in the US. Overall nearly half of the World's Top 400 universities are in Europe (Source: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2015-2016).

Physical Fair:  Additionally,the EU Delegation is also supporting the organization of a physical fair, the European Higher Education Fair (EHEF) which will be held on 30th September – 01 October at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. More than 100 higher education institutions from 26 EU Member States are taking part in this fair.

Some of the reasons why studying in Europe is a high value proposition: 

• Quality: In addition to world class research infrastructure, academics appreciate the ideological openness and political independence of the European higher education system. In the Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), European universities take 203 of the 500 top positions. In the Times Higher Education Ranking (THE), European Higher Education Institutions take 180 of the 400 top positions. It is important to underline that knowledge of English is sufficient to study in Europe as there are hundreds of top quality courses offered in English across all the European Union Member States. 

• Value for money: Depending on the country and type of university, the cost of studying in Europe can be surprisingly low, even for the most prestigious institutions. This is possible due to high levels of public sector spending on higher education and ambitious policy targets for increasing the percentage of highly educated persons in the population.

• Range of scholarships: While there is great value for money for self-paying students, Europe also offers an incredible number of scholarships and funding opportunities to support students. One prominent example is the European Union's Erasmus+ programme, which has been launched in 2014 and will provide even more opportunities for scholarships and cooperation than the previous Erasmus Mundus programme. 

• Career: Studying in Europe opens many doors, not only to European corporates operating in India, but also to Indian companies operating in Europe. In terms of career, it is also important to keep in mind that in the Global Innovation Index, 6 out of the 10 top ranked countries are in the European Union. Studying in Europe will give Indian students insights in the mechanics of successful innovation, including through practical placements in European companies. Another important career booster is the opportunity to learn a European language. The return on investment in learning an additional language such as French, Spanish or Swedish can be enormous. 

• Diversity and culture: Studying in Europe will give you the opportunity to travel freely across most of the continent and explore the multitude of cultures, traditions and natural landscapes. Besides, you will be able to develop the cultural competence that will make you employable and successful. 

• Safety and security: Europe is a safe and secure place for young men and women alike, and parents can rest assured that their children will return safely. 

• Proximity:Europe is geographically much closer to India than some of the classic destinations. This has an impact on the cost of travelling and possibility to stay in touch despite some time difference.

The Virtual Fair is open to all. One can participate by registering @ www.study-europe.net/preregistration

About the European Union (EU): 

The EU, which consists of 28 countries, has the world's largest economy and its third largest population, after China and India. Though richly diverse, the countries that make up the EU (its 'Member States') are all committed to the same basic values: peace, democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights. They have set up common institutions so that decisions on matters of joint interest can be made democratically at European level. By creating a frontier-free single market and a single currency (the euro) which has been adopted by 19 Member States, the EU has given a significant boost to trade and employment. It is also at the forefront of policies on sustainability.

Over 50 years the EU and India have worked together to reduce poverty, prevent disasters, expand trade, and promote joint research in energy, health, agriculture and many other fields of mutual interest. More information at: http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/india