African Students in India: Patterns of Mobility

Under British colonial power, the British higher education system was introduced into both India and Africa; and the legacy continues till today, when India and most of the countries in Africa are independent nations. After national independence in 1947, India, having a better educational infrastructure, started attracting African students to Indian universities for higher education. The movement of African students to India has of late shown a dramatic decline. This raises a concern in India, and it is necessary to understand the reasons for this decline and to devise ways to reverse the deterioration. In this communication, while analyzing this issue, only students who actually cross national borders and live in India for their studies are taken into consideration. Students who are registered with Indian universities for distance education programs have not been taken into account, for one believes that the true international education experience occurs only through cross-border education.