A country wants to give free visas to international students

This is one of the new regulations of the government of this country to attract international students to study at universities, in the context of the increasing rate of local students going abroad.

Nepal has just announced a plan to attract international students for the 2025-2026 academic year.

PHOTO: UNSPLASH

Efforts to attract international students

According to The Kathmandu Post , during the recent presentation of the draft budget for the fiscal year 2025-2026 of the Nepal government, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel shared that all international students who choose to come to this country will be granted free visas for the entire course of study. At the same time, parents or guardians of international students will also be allowed to apply for multiple-entry visas to Nepal.

In order to improve the quality and efficiency of university education management, the Nepalese government also plans to promulgate a new framework law to standardize the operations of educational institutions, as well as plans to restructure university departments and divisions to limit the number of students going abroad to study. In addition, Nepal also plans to develop a stronger university education management body through the reorganization of the current University Commission.

"Universities will be funded based on the quality of education, number of students and infrastructure," Paudel said, adding that the government will suspend funding to schools if they do not publish an official academic calendar before the start of the academic year.

Currently, Nepal welcomes few international students, mainly from neighboring countries such as Bangladesh, China, and India. Meanwhile, this country is one of the world's leading source markets for international students, with more than 112,000 new students enrolling abroad in the 2023-2024 academic year alone.

However, Nepal’s ambition to attract international students with its visa-free policy is not without some challenges. A typical example is that the South Asian country’s investment in public education is only 3.68% of GDP, lower than the global level of 4.4% of GDP. Along with that are other problems such as outdated training programs and limited number of study places, according to The PIE News .

"The policy is promising, but there are still many challenges: Many Nepalese universities do not have international rankings or are not widely known; some study programs and daily communication are still in Nepali, making it difficult for international students; visa and admission processes need to be clearer, faster, and more digital; some students may have difficulty adapting to the food and lifestyle...", CEO of Educable Consultancy Nepal Surya Pokhrel shared.

What is special about studying in Nepal?

Responding to The PIE News , Mr. Pokhrel commented that Nepal is trying to build its image as an affordable study abroad destination, with a peaceful living environment and rich cultural identity. Currently, more and more international students are interested in medical fields, studying abroad, and Buddhist studies in this country, not to mention that Nepal is promoting international cooperation, scientific research as well as widely using English in university education.

"Nepal can absolutely become a destination for international students," Mr. Pokhrel affirmed.

Sharing the same view, Ms. Prabha Thapa, Director of International Admissions at ApplyBoard in Nepal, said that Nepal offers "unparalleled" real-world experience opportunities for international students interested in studying the Himalayas, Buddhism or climate science... "Nepal is quite affordable and has many programs taught in English. It is also a country with majestic nature, rich heritage and spiritual traditions," she shared.

According to the UK-based Times Higher Education, undergraduate tuition fees in Nepal range from NPR 100,000-500,000 per year (VND 19-95 million). Tuition fees are higher for postgraduate courses, especially in fields such as medicine, engineering and business. Meanwhile, living expenses in this South Asian country range from NPR 15,000-30,000 per month (VND 2.8-5.7 million), including rent, food, transportation and other expenses.

Currently, Nepal has two universities in the Times Higher Education world rankings: Kathmandu University and Tribhuvan University, both in the 1,501+ group. According to data from the World Bank, the total population in Nepal is about 29.65 million in 2023 with a university enrollment rate of 17.83%.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/mot-quoc-gia-muon-cap-visa-mien-phi-cho-du-hoc-sinh-185250708175300854.htm