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Moving Intellects
Sabhanaz Rashid Diya
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As his plane taxied itself at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Raitul took a deep breath and began thinking. He was a fresh graduate from Australian National University (ANU) with a major in Commerce, shared a keen interest in balancing business with social good and was now home to build a career. Over the past years, he had seen many young people -- just like him -- studying at a university in Bangladesh or abroad, and was finally beginning to understand how the learning curve had evolved for his generation. Over the next few months, he'll be hunting for a job just like many fresh graduates from local private and public universities -- the race for survival had begun.
However, Raitul wasn't intimidated; he was largely optimistic and confident. “I am often asked how my education at ANU differed from those of my peers at North South University or University of Dhaka,” he explained. “I wouldn't say there was a striking contrast, but to an extent, I feel studying abroad gave me a more holistic and insightful perspective about my field. I've seen people just solve problems or understand theories; at ANU, we were pushed to research meticulously before solving a problem and challenge theories. It's this habit that sets me apart from others in the job market.”
Since the '60s, bright students from South Asian countries have been known to migrate to the West in pursuit of a 'better education'. In the following years, higher numbers of students were moving to Russia (and eventually Europe) on academic scholarship. Courtesy of the media propagated American dream, the percentage of young people applying for higher education to North America also rose steadily over the years, resulting in the formation of growing masses of 'international students' living abroad. This outflow of intellect -- more commonly known as brain drain -- has been at the pinnacle of discussion for decades; pinning down to unstable political environment, lack of research facilities, low value for unconventional ambitions and belief in a Western pedagogy as significant causes for its occurrence in context to Bangladesh. While specific data on the number of students migrating from Bangladesh is yet to be determined, 2011 alone welcomed 97,147 international students to Canada (Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada). The average North American classroom has now been converted to the Global Village of Marshall McLuhan with students coming from at least twenty different countries with contradicting religions and philosophies. References are drawn from case studies conducted in India versus those conducted in Sao Paolo. Through the advent of technology, education in the 21st Century is said to be de-elitised with higher numbers of students studying abroad, undertaking distant learning courses and travelling globally.
However, such rapid growth demands a timely and essential question -- has the quality of education improved? Whether students going abroad have been benefited, or have their standards of living risen? Joyeeta, now in her junior year at University of Toronto feels her vision for life has revolutionised since she began studying abroad.
“I am from Viqarunnisa Noon School, and I remember it to be a place where we had piles of books, lots to memorise and a competition based on who can score the highest grades. While I understand undergraduate courses in general greatly varied, I also feel by studying in Canada, I am more intellectually developing. Our professors tend to challenge us, the same way we challenge them and it is this incredible learning experience that makes me enjoy my classes here greatly.”
“People come here for all sorts of reasons,” said 24-year old Avi, a sophomore from York University in Toronto. “I came because my brother came earlier, and my parents felt together, he and I can have a better standard of living. I was a Computer Engineering major at BRAC University in Dhaka, but because my courses didn't add up to the perquisites at York, I was shifted to Computer Science.”
“I am not happy with Computer Science though. There was obviously an information gap and I ended up taking the wrong courses. I am sure there is an intriguing learning curve in this field, but my passion lies with a different line of IT -- and I largely feel undervalued in terms of my interest in my classes.”
Talha, an Economics major in his sophomore year shares Avi's sentiments. “When you come to a university abroad, you are sacrificing many things. There is obviously a big financial play here, but in addition, the way you have lived and learnt also change. It is natural, therefore to expect many things and often, these universities cannot fulfill them. There is obviously a difference in the quality of education such as more opportunities to research or tackle real life problems, world class labs and world renowned faculty -- but then again, at the end of the day, it bottoms down to how much you have managed to take in. Many of us don't, so whether coming abroad has been beneficial strictly academically is an important question.”
However, an informal survey conducted among 100 students enrolled or recently graduated from an undergraduate programme at a North American university estimated over 80 percent of the target population felt their learning curve was on an upward slope. The quality of education, environment in the classroom and opportunity to learn beyond what was taught were very high, hence indicating a positive cost-benefit ratio. In spite of the enthusiasm, international students often face greater dilemmas with some 'getting lost along the way.'
“It is very important to be focused towards your academics when you're studying abroad,” explained Saminur, Engineering major at University of Toronto. “I have met Bangladeshis here who did their homework and knew exactly why they were here; while others who came with the flow and ended up studying something they didn't want to or had very little idea about. As a result, when they graduated, they were suddenly clueless -- and the investment no longer seemed to be worth it.”
“The bottom line is to know what you intend to do with your education. Whether you are benefited from studying abroad versus studying in your own country depends on how you plan to utilise what you learn.”
Asif, who has recently moved to Hong Kong for a degree in Economics, echoes Saminur's thoughts. “The classroom lectures vary greatly and there is an intense amount of peer pressure. The stakes are very high, but then again, on the flipside you know it's preparing you for a global market. I am currently applying to Goldmann Sachhs for an internship, and I get the confidence of doing this because I opted for a foreign education. I wouldn't have even considered it otherwise.”
So, does this mean currently enrolled Bangladeshi students across the globe recommend a foreign degree? Quite the contrary! The survey indicated how most students, if given a choice would go for a Master's degree abroad (grad school) instead of a Bachelor's. Ayesha, a PhD student at a renowned university in the US, explains the phenomenon.
“When you invest your time and intellect from such an early age at a foreign country, you tend to get accustomed to it in a way where you have no option of returning. The expectations are very high. Because many of us want to come back home and work, it's important to earn a local degree and then fine tune it with a foreign degree. That way, the chances of you succeeding or nurturing your potentials are greater. I have seen many bright students lagging behind because they couldn't handle the pressure, and I felt this can easily be resolved if more thought and careful planning is put before coming to a foreign university.”
Although the numbers of Bangladeshi students going abroad for higher education still remains high, due to the advent of private universities and international collaborations, the numbers of students returning is slowly increasing. Furthermore, the value for education is no longer limited to textbooks or degrees, rather how well real life situations are simulated through classroom experiences -- therefore, making a more localised approach, more popular than ever. In the coming years, it can be safely assumed that more students will be coming home, improving the overall economy and pushing Bangladesh towards a new horizon of prosperity.
References:
1. Citizenship and Immigration Canada
(The writer is a major in Media and Communication at Independent University Bangladesh, and founder of the nonprofit youth organisation, One Degree Initiative Foundation. She is a 2011 YouthActionNet Global Fellow and One Young World Ambassador to Bangladesh.)
