Joint Interview: Mr. Jayasankar Seshadri and Ms. Rajeshwari Jayasankar, Co-Founders & Directors at Campus Abroad
“Face-to-Face learning is always a better option“
By Vishal Bhidu
Ahead of the coveted International Education Fair to be held on November 24 and 25, Platform Africa brings a joint interview with co-founders and directors at Campus Abroad, Mr. Jayasankar Seshadri and Ms. Rajeshwari Jayasankar. Incepted in 2001, Campus Abroad has played a pivotal role as a higher education facilitator where the event grows bigger every single year and in this edition, some 70 plus universities will be present. In this interview, both directors tell why students should attend the International Education Fair, the relevance of innovation towards driving face-to-face courses as well as their online education offerings tailor-made to the changing market needs.
- This year Campus Abroad is drawing big with the visit of 70 plus universities from abroad where novelty resides in the coming up of new players from countries such as the Netherlands and Spain. Can you share with us the amount of preparation that has gone into planning of the international educational fair and why should students attend the fair?
Rajeshwari Jayasankar: We started all preparations for the fair a year in advance, from the venue booking to identification of key themes, hotel reservations and the sites associated with this edition’s various events together with deciding on key speakers. At Campus Abroad, we didn’t leave any stone unturned since we wanted this year’s event to be really special with the diversity brought into play, be it the growing number of universities and new countries represented at the fair.
Jayasankar Seshadri: I would say that students gain a lot of insights and exposure by attending the fair in terms of an added edge pertaining to a wide choice of courses and destinations offered. We also offer advice on scholarships and through the presence of our experts, university representatives and the High Commission of countries offering them guidance on scholarships, how to apply for and visa and/or travel procedures, for that matter.
2. This year’s event promises to be bigger with several innovations before the fair such as the Open Day hosted at the seat of Campus Abroad for online programmes. How do you see the demand for online courses impacting the global education market where it is set to reach USD 350 billion by 2025 and can you explain to us the concept of UpGrad benefiting students?
Jayasankar Seshadri: The Covid pandemic has forced all of us to innovate and rethink in terms of strategies to be ahead of the curve. Today, Online learning is an accepted method of education as the whole world has seeped into an online wave where we witnessed how digital learning has created a niche for itself.
Rajeshwari Jayasankar: As we speak about digital solutions for learning and education, we have seen how excellent software has made learning attractive for students.
Simply put, Upgrad is a unicorn where we have tied up with various leading global and well-known universities as part of offerings for a wide range of programmes aimed at working professionals. We have realized how complex it can be for professionals to avail of higher education and Campus Abroad has never shied away from making learning easy, accessible and within reach for everyone.
3. What are the courses in place offered by online learning and to what extent it will address industry requirements or plug-in skill mismatch on the market?
Rajeshwari Jayasankar: Upgrad offers a wide range of courses across specialist areas like Artificial Intelligence, Data Science and Machine Learning as well as curated courses in several disciplines such as Supply Chain Management, Product Management and Leadership & Management. In addition, we also have several interesting offerings such as MBA programmes where all our courses are tailored for industry and current needs at an affordable price.
4. Campus Abroad Mauritius was incepted in 2001 and can you share the challenges, the extent you have seen the space for higher education growing over the years laden with what went into making your brand driving excellence?
Rajeshwari Jayasankar: In the initial phase of Campus Abroad, there were a lot of challenges set against the context where Mauritius was primarily a small undergraduate market for overseas study. However, with rising incomes, international exposure, age of the internet and globalization, the market has expanded.
Jayasankar Seshadri: Today, Campus Abroad as a brand is well known, trusted and most importantly well-anchored cum established in Mauritius primarily as a result of our sheer hard work and sincerity of our employers who never shy in working round the clock to make us reliable not just to the eyes of students, parents and also our partners.
5. Today education has witnessed a tectonic shift towards online learning and at the same time, the international education fair has achieved the rare feat of attracting 70-plus global universities on the local shores. What explains the surge in demand for physical courses and in future, what would be the USP to help attract and retain students opting to study abroad?
Rajeshwari Jayasankar: Even though online learning has gained popularity, it can never replace face-to-face learning. The experience of studying in a university atmosphere is something unique a student is unlikely to forget this life experience shaping their growth, belief, and value system or character for that matter.
Jayasankar Seshadri: I would add that unless a student is restrained either by finance or work commitments, face-to-face learning is always a better option. It’s something both of us agree on.
6. Being a pioneer in the field of higher education, what are the courses that you see in the long-term that will not only help drive innovation and align with market trends but also help ensure physical learning retains its position?
Rajeshwari Jayasankar: All STEM courses have to be delivered face to face – these are the areas for which there is tremendous potential for growth. Deemed as essential to the focus on harnessing technology and digital, STEM is all about interdisciplinary education and brewing creativity, coupled with real-time applications in the global world.
Jayasankar Seshadri: According to the PEW Research Center, STEM employment grew manifold by 79 percent since 1990 with computer growth showing a rise of 338 percent. That was published in 2018 and now in the post-pandemic era, to tell you how relevant it is and hence the relevance of face-to-face courses to deliver on innovative methods in an ever-evolving world.
7. Having carved a name for yourself spanning over the past three decades, are there plans for Campus Abroad to diversify its activities in terms of tying up with local or global players?
Campus Abroad is already in the process of tying up with several global leaders in education. We will be communicating details very soon.
