The WorldGrad taking Education from Regional to Global - Founder, Abhinav Mital

The Hans India spoke to Abhinav Mital to know more about his journey and venture on education—from regional to global— spoke about matters over their representation in this area, what makes The WorldGrad a passport to global education; and tried to understand how The WorldGrad brings affordability and accessibility for students from different economic backgrounds.

In a nutshell, today's story is about The WorldGrad an online education platform that partnered with top-tiered global institutions to bring online plus on-campus learning programs to India and regional markets.

Please share more about yourself with our readers.

I am the Founder of  The WorldGrad, Alumni of The ISB Hyderabad, and IIT Delhi. I have 15 years of experience in the education sector and was a founding member and former Partner of Parthenon-EY's international education practice. I have worked with various global higher education institutions on growth strategy, international expansion, and improving the student experience and advised PE investors, publishers, education organisations, and Edu-tech ventures. Presently, I serve on the operations advisory board of The Education Fund, Australia.

Post Omicron, what difficulties you have experienced in the education industry and for the students who had study abroad plans for Undergraduate.

We have observed a relatively healthier trend compared to the Covid onset and Delta wave. In addition, the Omicron wave has not affected the demand for overseas - student numbers surged back up.

However, in January, there were some challenges in meeting parents, doing counselling sessions, etc., as it was all virtual. This has temporarily impacted the ability to interact with the Tier 2 / 3 demand. The wave is subsiding, and the pace is picking up to its former trend. However, the setback by recurring Covid waves has caused many issues where affordability and uncertain/ Asymmetric information occupied the major domain.

Covid has drained the savings of people. Hence, the increased cost of education with less financial resources adds to the woes of students. Making it extremely difficult for students to pursue the dream of studying abroad. Additionally, the frequent changes in the Visa and other policies due to covid-19 have brewed a vast uncertainty among the students on multiple frontiers.

Amidst the pandemic, we learned a lot of alternatives.

How do you think The Hybrid-Model can also be an alternative for offline studies that students can look for in the future?

We see Hybrid Model as complementary to the existing offline mode of study. The hybrid model will not replace the usual/ standard mode of operation. However, it would add to the options available to students to pursue an overseas education. It will be relevant for students who want to study an international curriculum. They would be able to engage with overseas faculty members, pick up the skills for success, and yet save on costs by studying in part from home.

Hence, The WorldGrad and other such platforms bring affordability and accessibility for students from different economic backgrounds. It is about supporting students by being their spine and helping them achieve the best education from their dream colleges.

Concerning the past times (COVID-19), how do you think The Hybrid model benefited students more than the standard procedure (offline)?

Yes, it has given students a breather. As there were no standard procedures during Covid-19, everything was online; the hybrid model gave students hope, accessibility, and affordability during the despair of covid-19. Moreover, due to its integrated approach that combines both offline and online aspects of education, the students benefited immensely in both the spheres-intellectually and psychologically.

Numerous students face issues in adapting to foreign cultural and academic readiness. How can the Pre-masters courses prepare them?

Yes, students came across numerous difficulties, particularly in adapting to the new culture and academic style. A pre-masters course is specifically designed for students to bridge academic and English skills gaps between their undergraduate qualifications and desired overseas postgraduate aspirations.

It focuses on areas like learning and communication skills, analytical skills, research skills, application of concepts. All are customised to the respective discipline area or the student's field of study. Students, especially those coming from non-STEM qualifications, need to develop these skills to succeed in an overseas PG program, and hence a pre-masters is highly recommended.

Please put some light on international tutors and the IB curriculum; which course is famous amongst students looking forward to studying abroad?

There are 40 IB world schools in India. IB is a widely followed curriculum worldwide by 5000 schools for its excellence and broad learning vision. It empowers students to take ownership of their education. IB curriculum provides students with the flexibility to create their future by opting for their preferred courses.

Two domains attract students the most Business and Analytics, and Commerce and finance.

Explain the role of foreign nations in encouraging overseas education for international students?

Foreign nations have introduced many incentives and initiatives to encourage education for international students-

Australia-Have waived Visa- fees on arrival for all the international students. And have extended post-study work visa duration from 2 years to 6 years.

The UK-Have extended their post-study work regulation from 2021 to two years. It is also deliberating to reduce visa fees and make the visa process easier for Indian Students.

Canada-It has announced 400,000 PR spots, which is very much in favour of Indian students.

The USA- It has made the visa process easier for international students by waiving in-person interviews.

The governments have taken these and many more steps to encourage overseas education.

Since you have been a part of this industry for a long time, what repetitive trends have you noticed in studying abroad, preferred courses, managing finances, etc.?

1. The international student movement has grown consistently over multiple decades - events like 9/11, financial crisis, or COVID create short-term fluctuations, but the demand is steadily moving upwards - with the USA leading the trends with 133,321 students followed by Australia with 93,324 students and Canada with 74,340 students.

2. The choice of destination country does change based on prevailing political, economic, or immigration conditions - e.g. Canada has become a hot favourite because of a large number of PRs (400,000) on offer.

3. Business and technology remain evergreen choices no matter what - this is because they provide the most extensive scope for post-study employment. Even specialisations in PG tend to be related to these two areas. Moreover, the course content offered by universities is also evolving to keep these disciplines current and relevant.

4. Financing is the biggest hurdle for overseas study, and while taking out student loans was very uncommon in India 10 years ago, it is becoming a fairly popular choice. Still, a lot has to be done to spread awareness of financing options. Additionally, working while studying has also become an accepted norm and is highly recommended by us as it helps students integrate and learn more about the host country and pick up valuable skills.