The Higher Education Review

According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in the present time, more Indian students are flocking abroad to pursue higher education and as per the same report, spending on tuition and hostel fees by Indians studying overseas has gone up by 44 percent from $1.9 billion in 2013-14 to $2.8 billion in 2017-18. Quality, student experience, research quotient, career opportunities, however, determines the international student's decision on which abroad institute to choose for studying.

On that note, Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, Canada is emerging as a preferred destination among the international students. According to the most recent Key Performance Indicators Survey (KPI), Fanshawe has a graduate employment rate of nearly 88 percent and ranks above the provincial average in student satisfaction, graduate satisfaction, graduate employment, and employer satisfaction.

"About 8,000 employers work with Fanshawe College to offer full-time, part-time and summer job opportunities to students

Fanshawe currently has 21,000 full-time students, including 6,200 international students from 95 different countries, which ensures a complete education abroad experience for the students. Keeping student experience at the top of its priority list, the College regularly updates equipment and facilities so the students studying at Fanshawe can have the best experience.

In the past five years, "The College has modernized and expanded the facilities at the Norton Wolf School of Aviation and the Centre for Applied Transportation Technologies, as well as building the new Downtown Campus and the new three-floor Student Wellness

Centre," says Wendy Curtis, Executive Director, Fanshawe International. The Wellness Centre is complete with state-of-the-art facilities designed to meet the fitness and wellness needs of the students, as well as a medical clinic, pharmacy, exercise equipment and more. There are also many on-campus food options, and 200+ clubs, teams and events each year hosted by the Fanshawe Student Union (FSU).

Wendy shares, "Because of the fact that Fanshawe offers 200+ programs including certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas, honours bachelor degrees, and postgraduate certificates, every student gets an array of options so they can choose a course according to their interests and goals." Known as one of the largest colleges in Ontario, Fanshawe provides students with experiential education opportunities developed in response to job market needs. The College provides the students with a wonderful opportunity to "earn while they learn" in one of the 50+ co-operative education programs, including 14 accredited by Co-operative Education Work Integrated Learning Canada. About 8,000 employers work with Fanshawe College to offer full-time, part-time and summer job opportunities to students. "Being a leading research college in Canada, we also put a substantial focus on research opportunities for our students. We have a dedicated research Centre for Research and Innovation that links industry, business and community partners with Fanshawe students and faculty researchers," adds Wendy.

Unlocking Opportunities
Priyank Mistri, who completed his B.E in Electronics and Communication from Indus University, in Gujarat, India, received Fanshawe's Distinguished Student Award in 2016. Once in Canada, Priyank completed post-graduate programs in both Project Management and Marketing Management. He says if he was to describe the teaching methods at Fanshawe in one word, it would be 'Practical'. Priyank adds, "In terms of unique learning benefits, students literally get to work with live clients/ local businesses while studying in a classroom. Professors go above and beyond to invite industry leaders/ employers to come in as guest speakers and provide

knowledge about the current job market." Further sharing his experience at Fanshawe, Priyank said that the first thing that attracted him when he arrived at the College, was the welcoming, friendly environment.

Wendy pinpoints, "We provide every kind of assistance to our international students, from welcoming them at the airport with airport greeters (who are other international students), to offering up to two nights' accommodation if needed. Fanshawe has a mobile app, which international students can download in their home country to help them understand what Fanshawe has to offer, and how things work at the College and in Canada. The College also has an education team that works out of Delhi, to provide information and to help students and their parents know what to expect.

In the past few years, an increasing number of Indian students have been coming to Fanshawe College, and they tend to choose the post-graduate programs. A couple of the more popular program choices currently are: Practical Elements of Mechanical Engineering, Construction Project Management, or any of Business/Management or Information Technology programs.

Scholarships are available to all Fanshawe College students, including some specifically for qualified international students. These include entrance awards as well as in-course scholarships.

"We have just launched two new two-year Post-Graduate programs in Business and IT which will begin in September. We are also planning to introduce more programs focused on creating the skills necessary for employment. To the Indian students out there, we can say the hard work they will put in during their studies at Fanshawe, combined with experiential will provide them with the skills they need to follow productive career paths," concludes Wendy.

Wendy Curtis, Executive Director
Wendy directs international recruitment and internationalization efforts at Fanshawe College.She works to ensure international and Canadian students receive excellent service in international education.she has been serving students at Fanshawe since 1985.