An Interview With Co-Founders Of The WorldGrad – Amit Garga, Abhinav Mital, And Pranav Saxena

With our experience in the education space for the past 15 years, we saw growth in digital education and the international student movement simultaneously, but, no one even imagined that the integration of both could help in addressing some of the major challenges faced by students when they plan to study abroad which are mostly related to cost, convenience and Out of all Indian/ International students who choose to study overseas, it is very common to see 1 out of 3 students fail in at least one subject in their first term.

Article Featured On: The Education Times

How did you come up with the idea for The WorldGrad?

With our experience in the education space for the past 15 years, we saw growth in digital education and the international student movement simultaneously, but, no one even imagined that the integration of both could help in addressing some of the major challenges faced by students when they plan to study abroad which are mostly related to cost, convenience and Out of all Indian/ International students who choose to study overseas, it is very common to see 1 out of 3 students fail in at least one subject in their first term. This is often linked to difficulties in adapting to a new and unfamiliar education system and living situations. Failure leads to both financial and mental stress for students and their families. We thought of using technology to create a bridge for students seeking international education that would help to ease this whole process and make this transition easy and smooth while helping them save money. This is how The WorldGrad came into being.

How is The WorldGrad different from other study abroad and ed-tech platforms?

Being a student-centric organization we always focused on providing convenience, ease of access, and world-class education to our students! Our focus is on preparing students for success in the overseas academic environment. We provide students with the option to get admission into any of our top partnered universities while they start their education from the convenience of their homes, and opt for on-campus classes after a period of 6 months to one year, everything taught is based on international year 1 curriculum of respective countries and programs and is taught by international teachers which are validated by our overseas partners to ensure the student is getting an authentic overseas education which helps them transition successfully. This has not only helped students during the pandemic to save an academic year but also addresses other problems that come to their mind when they plan on studying abroad, some being associated with adjusting to a new education system and unfamiliar living situations and the cultural shock associated with relocating to a new This also reduces the financial burden on students that comes along with living in a foreign nation which can cost up to 30 lakhs per year for accommodation and other living expenses.

Why are we seeing this sharp rise in the number of students who aspire to study abroad?

One of the most influential factors that attract so many Indian students to study abroad is to get a chance to study, live and possibly even work in a different country. Most countries even allow international graduates from their universities to stay and work for a few years on the student visa. This helps the students to gain valuable international work experience.

Talking about financial readiness, how can students prepare for studying abroad when coming from middle-tier families?

We recently conducted a survey in which we found that around 65% of students aspiring to study abroad had less than 10L annual family income. Studying abroad can be expensive as I’ve mentioned before but the right planning can help students get into their dream There are various options that students can opt for to support themselves financially which includes education loans, Scholarships offered by the university, and sponsors, and grants. While these options are great and can cover up to 35% of the costs incurred when studying abroad, the competition to get these grants and scholarships are cutthroat, and one needs to be very academically strong and competitive to get one, the key takeaway from this is having realistic expectations about scholarships and funding. Alternatively, students can also opt for university-affiliated Hybrid courses which are less expensive compared to regular intakes and can help students in saving on other expenses too!

What are the advantages of a ‘HYBRID’ learning program for students?

A hybrid learning program is like bringing the best of two worlds into Online learning has its own benefits and limitations and so does on-campus learning. While some subjects and topics are better understood by students with interactive well designed online classes and lectures, some require a more hands-on approach and practical classes to develop a better understanding. An affiliated well-structured Hybrid program can provide a great learning experience especially for students planning on studying abroad by helping to ease out the shock of moving to a completely different country and switching to a completely different education system while saving costs simultaneously.

What are some of the “Top study destinations and courses preferred by Indian students”

The top destinations for Indian students are the United States followed by Canada, Australia, and the UK. With more than 750,000 Indian students studying in overseas countries, these 4 destinations account for more than half of the student enrolment. Other preferred destinations for Indian students are New Zealand, UAE, Singapore, Japan, and Germany. Management and technology-related programs are the top choices for students both and the undergraduate and postgraduate level however we do see the interest of students in other streams like hospitality, health sciences, and even liberal arts (at the UG level)

How is Studying abroad beneficial for Indian students?

Studying overseas provides a wide variety of personal, educational and professional. Most importantly it provides students a viable option to pursue their higher education at high-quality universities, many ranked higher than the best colleges in the country. India has 7 colleges (the IITs and IISc) in the top 500 institutions in the world. These colleges are extremely competitive to get into but a student who is unable to get into one of these prestigious colleges can still succeed at a global level by choosing from a choice of similar or better ranked overseas universities. Apart from this, an overseas study places the student at a global footing from day one which ends up being advantageous throughout their career – with increasing demand for diverse backgrounds both at education institutions and global workspaces. Lastly, spending time living overseas shapes viewpoints, perspectives, and skills that are valuable in the 21st century though harder to pick up if living in India.

What are some factors one should consider, before choosing a university to study abroad?

While this answer can be a little tricky as even personal factors and preferences come into play when choosing a university to study in but some common checklist points to consider should include the university’s reputation, the course fees, safety- this is important as students should avoid colleges in cities or towns with high crime rates, this would also ensure peace of mind of their parents. Some other factors to consider are – diversity in the university they are applying for, job opportunities while studying, second language fluency, networking possibilities, and lastly campus life and student involvement activities offered by the University,

What are your views on travel restrictions imposed by various European countries over Covid-19?

Universities are reopening in various European countries now while there is still a lot of confusion related to vaccine acceptability and Covishield has been widely accepted by most countries but Covaxin is not. I believe this is just temporary and will be resolved very soon with the governments discussing together on the same, meanwhile, students should communicate with their universities and check with the travel guidelines before getting their tickets.

With Travel restrictions being eased in various countries what will be your advice to students moving abroad to rejoin their universities?

While it is really exciting for the students to get back to their campus life they should also remember that Covid 19 has changed everything and the problem is still not averted, students should have clear communication with their universities regarding the regulations and also check the local regulations at the country the university is located in and strictly abide by it. The virus isn’t cured yet, there’s still the risk of getting infected, it’s always better to be safe than sorry!

Author: Deepak Shukla