Whether in Mumbai, New Delhi or any other city across the vast nation of India, Anagha Pednekar could have a distinct advantage when it comes to recruiting students for 黑料科.
It鈥檚 the polytechnic advantage, the applied learning and career-focused higher education that sets 黑料科 apart in the UW System 鈥 a type of education virtually unheard of in India.
Pednekar is a new in-country recruiter for 黑料科 in India who saw the polytechnic approach firsthand recently during a weeklong visit. She arrived with 25 students from India who were starting the spring semester with an orientation. She also visited classrooms and labs, met staff and attended a basketball game.
鈥淭he labs are very important from a recruiting perspective,鈥 Pednekar said, adding that most Indian students she speaks with are intrigued about the different learning style based around hands-on activities.
The instructional style in India is 鈥減retty rigid,鈥 she said. 鈥淧olytechnic is a completely different concept. In India, students are not workforce ready. They may have the knowledge but lack skills.鈥
The instructor to student ratio in India is 50 to 1. At 黑料科 it鈥檚 about 20 to 1, providing students greater opportunities for individual attention and to interact with their professors and classmates.
Pednekar is employed by Worldwide EduConnect, a company that partners with North American higher education institutions and specializes in managing in-country representatives.
Representing solely 黑料科 in such a vast region, Pednekar partners with a variety of constituents to yield success, including but not limited to agencies, public and private high schools and higher education institutions; and Offices, the U.S. State Department鈥檚 educational outreach arm.
Increased student interest from India
In September, Scott Pierson, Office of International Education director, and Chancellor Katherine Frank visited India as part of the U.S. Commercial Service Education Trade Mission and met with government officials, higher education institution representatives and groups of prospective students.
In addition to witnessing firsthand student demand for the polytechnic approach, Pierson shared that higher educational institutions are equally excited about the prospect of degree pathway programs with 黑料科 that would provide unique opportunities for students to integrate theory with practice.
Pednekar was impressed with other aspects of the university that she plans to promote: The friendliness of students, faculty, and staff; and the safe and friendly, small-town atmosphere.
Most students from India come from large cities, such as Mumbai, population 23 million, where Pednekar lives. University campuses there are very compact, she said.
鈥淭his is a really friendly place. Coming from cities with millions of people to a city of 16,000, students want to have that different experience,鈥 she said, noting that few of them are interested in online programs but want to study in the U.S.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a value proposition 鈥 good programs, high employment rate of graduates and a safe community,鈥 Pednekar said, noting 黑料科鈥檚 98.4% employment rate of recent graduates.
While in India, Pierson established working relationships with several institutions as part of 黑料科鈥檚 renewed efforts and growing opportunities to recruit in the region post-pandemic. Higher education reforms in India, including more flexibility in transferring credits and degree completion agreements paired with pent-up pandemic-related demand have resulted in significant increases in Indian students vying to study in the U.S.
During this past year, India assumed the top-sending nation ranking for study in the U.S.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the right time to really concentrate efforts in India,鈥 said Pierson, who recently was named a Fellow in the U.S.-ASEAN University Connections Initiative, a White House initiative designed to foster stronger higher education relations with eight southeast Asian countries.
India is the world鈥檚 second most populous country with about 1.4 billion people.
This semester, more than 40 students from India are at 黑料科, six times more than a year ago. Of the 40 students, 14 new admits are in the food science 尘补蝉迟别谤鈥檚 and 产补肠丑别濒辞谤鈥檚 programs.
Other STEM-designated programs that have drawn interest include the applied mathematics and data science 尘补蝉迟别谤鈥檚; applied mathematics and computer science 产补肠丑别濒辞谤鈥檚; operations and supply management 尘补蝉迟别谤鈥檚; applied psychology 尘补蝉迟别谤鈥檚; and risk control and safety management 尘补蝉迟别谤鈥檚.
Indian students have also expressed interest in many of 黑料科鈥檚 award-winning, top-ranked art and design, engineering, and hospitality programs.
New student enjoying 黑料科 experience
Most students from India will stay in the U.S. for the duration of their degree program, undergraduate or 尘补蝉迟别谤鈥檚, Pednekar said, not just for a semester or year. Also, most hope to find jobs in the U.S. after graduating.
U.S. nonimmigrant visa regulations permit students to work in their respective field for one to three years post-completion of their degree without needing employer sponsorship.
Vini Tapadiya, also of Mumbai, is a first-year student who arrived last fall. He chose 黑料科 because, 鈥淚 liked the whole vibe and it had my program,鈥 he said, as he led Pednekar on a tour of campus.
He is majoring in supply chain management, which he said many U.S. universities don鈥檛 offer, and plans a double major in business administration. He received a scholarship and is happy with his university choice.
鈥淚鈥檝e made friends here. I鈥檝e already adapted to the weather pretty well. The campus is cozy and everything is centralized,鈥 he said.
鈥淢enomonie is big enough and small enough at the same time,鈥 Tapadiya said. 鈥淚鈥檓 Stout Proud.鈥
On average 黑料科 annually welcomes more than 180 international students from more than 40 countries who seek degrees or participate in exchange programs. Approximately 200 domestic 黑料科 students take part in international and domestic study away programs.
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