Foreign studies - good or bad?
by Kamalanath Liyanage
 Nowadays, the acquisition of a
foreign degree is one of the trendiest phenomenons among the youth. What
is the actual situation behind the foreign degrees? To overcome these
issues, we interviewed an eminent personality of the visa consultation
profession who has gained knowledge as an education visa consultant and
has 20 years experience being in the United Kingdom from the Inspired
Visa Centre in Colombo.
We all respect the degrees offered from the local universities
however every student can’t be a local university undergraduate due to
the higher competition even though they obtain good marks for university
entrance. Those students who do not succeed getting admitted to a local
university can utilise the benefits of foreign university services to
fulfil their desires according to their affordability.
Students can obtain numerous foreign degrees by staying and doing
studies in Sri Lanka but the same degree taken in a foreign country may
add more value due to the foreign exposure. Generally, foreign degrees
enrich the student with higher efficiencies.
Also, when students study in foreign countries, they will be employed
part-time at their young age which gives them a living responsibility.
This will be in return for the students on their investments. As a
developing country, Sri Lanka can gain higher returns through the
foreign degrees because it is possible to gather knowledge and
innovative ideas from the other countries.
Those are the rewards of studying for degrees in foreign countries.
It is our duty to bring these graduates back to our motherland after
finishing their studies and give them employment in the most needful
areas of development in the country along with the national graduates.
However, the education consultant strongly emphasises:“National
graduates should be given the priority at any point of employment. We
must encourage our sons and daughters to obtain highest marks in O/L and
A/L and get a suitable placement in our local universities”.
 Students who are willing to study in foreign countries should
sacrifice a lot because they have to live far from their family and
other loved ones.
They have to invest relatively large amounts of money during their
stay. This can be a considerable drawback as Sri Lankan money is going
out and somehow it is also a plus point if these students come back with
higher knowledge to our land. Students can apply to the foreign
universities themselves via the internet but obtaining the advice of a
consultancy service that has experience and is a genuine counselling
party will be advantages. “It is our sole responsibility to guide our
youth with genuine advice on this education journey (accommodation,
airport pick up,etc.) as a stepping stone to their career and we also
have to groom the student with all relevant information with regard to
each country’s rules and regulations which are very vital when selecting
the country of study”, said the education consultant.
Accordingly we can summarise the process with three main
responsibilities of a visa consultation service provider. Firstly,
identify their needs, educational background, study the course and the
institution they are going to study. For this purpose, consultants or
appointed agents must have a solid knowledge of a good relationship with
the institutions which we offer to our students. This will give our
students confidence.
 Transparency on the financial aspect is the second responsibility.
Agents should always recommend the student to pay the college fees and
any other administrative charges directly to the institution and obtain
a valid receipt for all payments. Students and agents should sign a
terms and conditions contract which will safeguard both parties.
Students should be able to contact the foreign institutions directly at
any time for further clarifications on any matter related.
Also, if the services are not offered, consultants should be able to
return any charges made. Thirdly, consultants should give an obvious
picture of the country which they have selected. Due to the global
financial issues, each country’s immigration rules and regulations
differ so students may face difficulties on various issues once they go
there. These services are very valuable to both the student and the
parents who will be concerned over their sons and daughters stepping
into a new chapter in their life for the first time by themselves. |
