MUSCAT, Oct 2 - The number of Omani students opting for higher studies abroad has risen by 10 per cent, with a majority preferring medicine followed by engineering and other fields. “The demand from students in Oman to study abroad has been increasing in the last few years. The rise is 10 per cent this year,” said Andrew Conibbar, Officer, International Students Recruitment Team at University of Exeter, UK. Speaking to the Observer on the sidelines of IDP’s ‘Study Abroad’ seminar on Monday, he said a large number of Omani students are studying in different foreign countries, including the UK, and the number is growing.
“Unlike in the past, the demand is growing for undergraduate and foundation courses as well,” he said at the event which brought students from across nationalities face to face with the university representatives. “More students from Oman prefer foundation and undergraduate courses in the UK, while many choose foreign universities for the Masters and research studies. Most preferred education stream is medicine, followed by psychology, criminology and business,” he said. Andrew, however, said there was a steady growth of students who opted for civil engineering and mechanical engineering as well.
He said many girls were curious to learn what the foreign universities had in store for them. And the number of girls eyeing overseas education is on par with their male counterparts. “But when it comes to moving to foreign soil for studies, the number of boys is more than that of girls.”
KABEER YOUSUF
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