Data compiled by Israeli authorities after the COVID-19 outbreak put the number of Indian students enrolled in Israeli universities at 1,691 during academic year 2021–22. Illustration: Satheesh Vellinezhi
| Photo Credit: Satheesh Vellinezhi
Amid the clouds of war over West Asia, Israel is one of the favourite destinations for Indian students to pursue higher studies.
The Ministry of External Affairs had estimated the number of Indian students in Israel at 1,218 in 2022. However, data compiled by Israeli authorities after the COVID-19 outbreak put the number of students enrolled in Israeli universities at 1,691 during academic year 2021–22.
13.24 lakh in 2022
The official Israeli data reveal that Indian students make up the biggest share in the foreign students category, surpassing China, which stands second with 842 students. India had officially estimated the number of students abroad at 13.24 lakh in 2022.
According to Bureau of Immigration statistics, the number of Indian students who went abroad was 7.5 lakh in 2022 and 4.44 lakh in 2021.
According to Tammy Ben-Haim, Consul General of Israel to South India, the good academic cooperation between Indian and Israeli scientists and the willingness of both countries to foster academic exchange and research collaboration play a pivotal role in attracting Indian students to Israel.
“We have an Israeli Professor coming to teach at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIM-B) this July. We are in talks to have a centre of excellence on water with the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M). An Israeli delegation will be visiting IIT-M in August to attend a seminar, and many Israeli companies have expressed interest in the programme,” says the source.
Post-doctoral studies
A good number of students who study at institutes and universities in Israel are pursuing doctoral and post-doctoral studies. In 2022, 47.9% of foreign post-doctoral fellows in Israel were from India, while those from China were only 9.6%.
The academic collaboration between India and Israel, initiatives such as promoting academic exchange through joint research programmes, scholarships, faculty or student exchange programmes, etc., is one of the reasons for the high number of Indian students in Israel, says K. Harikrishnan Namboothiri, former Chief Executive Officer, NoRKA Roots.
“Further, the data on the number of students enrolled in varsities in Israel maintained by Israel are more realistic, as Indian agencies have limitations in tracking the data of students migrating to Israel through transit countries and other modes of migration,” says Mr. Namboothiri.
Israel is more famous for its water management programmes and innovative agriculture practises among the scholars from the country, says P. Indira Devi, former director of Extension, Kerala Agriculture University.
There had been a few academic exchange programmes between Israel and India based on these subjects, says Ms. Devi.
U.S., Canada on top
According to the MEA data of Indian students studying abroad in 2022, the United States and Canada are the two major countries that attract Indian students for higher studies, with 4.65 lakh students in the United States and 1.83 lakh students in Canada, followed by Australia (1 lakh), the United Arab Emirates (1.64 lakh), and the United Kingdom (0.55 lakh).
