Pakistani Students Win Highest Number of US and EU Scholarships among 143 Countries
By Riaz Haq
CA
Pakistani students have received more EU-funded Erasmus scholarships and US-sponsored Fulbright scholarships this year than students from any other country in the world. These are fully-funded scholarships for recipients to study at universities in the European Union and the United States. Pakistan has also seen a post-pandemic surge of student visas to study in Australia, the US, and the UK this year.
Among the 3,013 students from 133 countries selected for the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s program, Pakistani students rank at the top with 192 scholarships, followed by India 174, Bangladesh 140, Mexico 118, and Nigeria 109, according to an EU tweet .
Within the EU, Germany is hosting 7,114 Pakistani students, according to Erudera . Among the major countries of origin of foreign students in Germany are: China 40,055, India 33,753, Syria 16,712, Iran 11,625, Russia 10,739, Italy 9,887, Cameroon 7,692 and Egypt 7,214.
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EU scholarships - Source EU Pakistan |
The Fulbright scholarship program of the United States Government has awarded 189 scholarships to Pakistanis to study at US universities. Fulbright is the flagship scholarship program of the United States Government operating in 160 countries. Pakistan has the largest Fulbright program in the world in terms of the US government contribution, with $18.44 million dollars this year to support 189 students, according to the US Embassy in Islamabad , Pakistan.
The United Kingdom emerged as the top destination for Pakistani students with 28,188 student visas granted in 2022, up 95% from the previous year. The UK has now surpassed China and has the biggest draw for Pakistani students after the COVID19 pandemic . Of the 486,868 UK student visas granted (to both main applicants and their dependents), 117,965 went to Indian nationals. This marks an increase of 80,569 (+215%) compared to 2019, and slightly more than the 115,056 granted to Chinese nationals — but Pakistani nationals saw a bigger increase in approvals for their UK student visas at 377% compared to India’s 215%, according to Study International .
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Foreign students in the US - Source Open Doors |
The US also reported a 17.4% increase in the number of Pakistani students studying in the United States during 2021-22. This brought their number to 8,772, according to Open Doors . The Open Doors Report identified China and India as the largest sources of international students to the United States. During 2021-22, China sent 290,086 students, which is 30.6% of the total number of international students in the US, a decline of 8.6% from the previous year. India, which sent 199,183 students this year — 21% of the total — saw a 19% year-over-year increase. Together, China and India make up more than half of all international students in the United States.
The number of Pakistani students studying in Australia has also increased 21% to 20,935 in 2022. The number of first-time enrollments of Pakistanis jumped 71% in the year, according to ICEF Monitor .
Offsetting a decline in Chinese enrollments in Australia (177,470 in 2022, down 11% y-o-y) and zero momentum from India (128,980, up .03%) were notable enrollment increases from:
Thailand, the 6th largest market, up 61% to 25,792
Nepal, the 3rd largest market, up 21% to 71,805
Colombia, the 4th largest market, up 21% to 28,435
Pakistan, the 9th largest market, up 21% to 20,935
