Medicine a big draw for Indians
Medicine remains a big draw for Indian students pursuing education in China. Russia, which used to be among the preferred options for Indian medical students earlier, has seen a decline due to a perception that doctoral graduates from Russia find it difficult to clear the Medical Council of India (MCI) qualifying exam to practice in India.
"Many Indian medical students are choosing China over the UK and Russia for a range of reasons. China offers education which is comparably affordable, plus the degree is also validated by the MCI," Dr. Ankit Sharma, a maxillofacial and oral surgeon from India, who is currently a fellow at Peking Stomatological Hospital in Beijing, told CGTN Digital.
"Chinese education system is mostly well versed with all the latest technologies, especially in the field of medicine, surgery and even in genetics," added Sharma, who is in Beijing under a one-year fellowship program in oncology and reconstruction offered by the International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (IAOMS).
Moreover, most medicine courses for international students in China are conducted in English, therefore removing concerns about a language barrier.
"Medical sector in China doesn't have any language issue. Everyone is well-versed in English. This is another reason why Indians, as well as other international students, find China a more convenient option when compared to seven or eight years ago," Sharma said, adding he "didn't have any problem as most staff at my hospital can converse in English."
The Indian doctor, however, admitted that "language could perhaps be the only major barrier [for students in other disciplines] but it could be easily overcome as there are many Mandarin classes held for foreign students."
Language: A barrier or an opportunity?
Deshpande, a reasonably fluent Mandarin speaker, however, felt that rather than looking at the language issue as a barrier, one must see it as an opportunity. "Studying in China also enables you to learn Mandarin, which is comparatively less studied as a foreign language vis-à-vis other languages such as French, Spanish or German. However, learning the Chinese language definitely adds more value to the CV," she said.
"I think when you know the local language your daily life gets better, you can enjoy and experience another culture. To overcome the language problem, there is no other option besides learning the language itself, at least the spoken part which is very, very easy," she asserted.
"People who can speak Chinese and have first-hand experience of living in China are going to have a great advantage in terms of employment in the near future. Living in China is a great experience and it is going to be better and better in years to come," added an upbeat Deshpande.
She said she will encourage more and more students from India and even other countries to come to China. "The Chinese government and universities offer many scholarships and programs for studying in China. Living here allows you to be an open-minded person; ready to adapt and be flexible and become more independent. In addition, one gets rich experience about how things work in one of the largest economies of the world," she said.
A push for educational ties
Ties through education are also seen as a factor that could improve relations between both India and China, which have seen a few bumps following last year's Donglang standoff.
"As a vital channel to enhance mutual understanding, education is of particular significance for the improvement of the Sino-Indian ties. Moreover, many Indian students are looking to pursue careers in medicine and engineering, and may choose to work in China, a country with advanced medicine and engineering industries, after graduation. Intense educational communications can play an important role in helping Indians to know more about China, an effective means to lower tensions in Beijing-New Delhi relations," said an Op-Ed column in China's Global Times newspaper on Sunday.
"As emerging powers, the two countries should learn from each other, and cooperate for joint development. Last year, India's largest IT educational company, the National Institute of Information Technology, opened a training center in China's Guizhou Province for big data professionals. Cooperative projects like this should be encouraged and supported so as to deepen mutual understandings and improve people-to-people exchanges," it added.
Sharma agreed that student exchange programs between India and China will go a long way in creating awareness about each other, adding that many Indian agricultural students are coming to China under government sponsorship and that cooperation must be extended to other fields as well.
Deshpande concurred, saying: "Knowing the language and culture of both countries will help people of both countries to eradicate misconceptions about each other and accept each other openly. Educational exchange is one of the first steps towards that."
