How reasonable is it to study abroad amid omicron?

Where and when should parents send their children abroad? Answering these important questions related to the future of the students, the Managing Director of Pyramid e-Services, Mr Bhavnoor Singh Bedi, said that it is true that cases of coronavirus variant Omicron are on the rise all over the world, including India, and we should strictly follow all the instructions issued by the government to be safe from it, but it is not right to compromise on the future of your children at all.

Citing recent research by Victoria University's Mitchell Institute, Australia, Mr Bedi said the reality was that the number of students seeking to study abroad had increased many times over in 2021 compared to 2020. The research found that the number of new international students in Canada increased by 41.5% in 2021 to 420,805 compared to 2020, and in the UK, the number of international students increased by 80% to 356,579 in 2021. Similarly, in the USA, the number of international students in 2021 more than doubled compared to 2020, increasing by 221% to 358371. He further said that at present, the number of students going abroad from India is the highest in the world. He also said that now Australia has opened its air routes, and recently, India has signed a special air bubble agreement with Australia, under which Indian students can travel to Australia. He further said that it is expected that there will be good PR opportunities in Australia in the near future.

Will there be a ban on air travel again due to the increasing cases of Corona / Omicron? Answering this question, Mr Bedi said that it depends on the policies formulated by different countries. But there is little hope that air travel will be banned again. He said that recently the Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison had rejected the idea of re-imposing lockdown. Similarly, other countries are taking appropriate measures. Foreign universities and colleges have also taken necessary measures as per the guidelines of their governments. Students should get fully vaccinated as soon as possible to prevent Covid-19 and decide to study abroad, keeping their future in mind. He said both Covishield and Covacin vaccines are now approved in Canada.

Speaking on the upcoming intake and courses, Mr Bedi said that the seats for May 2022 are filling up very fast. Due to which the students must secure their seats as soon as possible; otherwise, they may face difficulties later. He said courses in healthcare, construction, accommodation and food, retail and manufacturing would benefit students in Canada. He further advised students to get the correct information by meeting the pyramid experts.

In view of the huge demand of students, Pyramid e-Services is organizing Study Abroad fairs from January 14 to 28 at the offices of Pyramid in Delhi, Kochi and different cities of Punjab, the details of which are as follows: on January 17 in Jalandhar, on January 18 in Moga, on January 19 in Bathinda, on January 20 in Patiala, on January 21 in Chandigarh, On January 24 in Ludhiana, on January 25 in Hoshiarpur and Delhi, And on January 28 in Pathankot and Kochi.