In this episode with Sagar Bahadur, we dive into the future of international education, student mobility, and how institutions can better support learners across cultures, especially in India and South Asia.

Here are seven key takeaways from the conversation:

Only 2% of India’s 40 million higher education students currently study abroad, yet 58% aspire to access international education. This gap presents a major opportunity to rethink how global learning can be delivered within India.

Internationalisation is evolving beyond travel. Students are increasingly engaging with global education through short-term programs, hybrid learning, foreign faculty, international certifications, and local branch campuses.

India’s education landscape is vast and competitive, with limited university spots creating pressure for students to achieve high academic results, especially for elite institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology.

The Indian government is focused on expanding access by promoting vocational education, skill development, and international collaborations, including mutual recognition of qualifications with countries like Australia.

Student wellbeing is a growing focus. Institutions are now offering more robust pre-departure and post-arrival support to help students navigate academic pressure, cultural change, and independent living.

Cultural transitions can be overwhelming for first-time international students. Sagar highlights the importance of preparing students not only academically, but emotionally for challenges like managing finances, homesickness, and balancing part-time work with studies.

Universities are being pushed to innovate. Acumen, Sagar’s organisation, is helping institutions explore new regions, delivery models, and partnerships from setting up campuses to building school pipelines and transnational programs.

The post Episode #59 | Sagar Bahadur – Supporting Students Across Cultures: Education, Wellbeing & Mobility appeared first on Ash Manuel.