The variety of ethnic groups, environments, economies, religions, and government systems in Asia provide cultural experiences for students that are more diverse than any other region on Earth. Asia sends more students to study internationally than any other continent, however, their many highly-ranked universities should not be overlooked. These institutions provide unique opportunities for immersion in a continent that is driving global economic growth. Many of China’s high school gaokao champions enroll in universities in Hong Kong and Japan boasts several highly ranked universities that educate students from all over the world. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) is world famous and Singapore’s INSEAD is a highly regarded global business school. Many universities in Asia offer degree programs in English which allow language barriers to be easily overcome. With the increasing focus on the knowledge and services sectors in our global economy, coupled with a rich cultural heritage, Asia is an ideal choice for international students.

The Middle East is attracting more and more international students and world-class professors as the governments in the region invest heavily in higher education. The United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia pride themselves on brand new universities and branch campuses of top-ranked global universities. The campuses are modern, filled with state-of-the-art research equipment, and have diverse and often secular academic environments. Most degrees are taught in English and are accompanied by generous scholarships. Additionally, many well-known Western universities have branch campuses in the Middle East. These include NYU, the London Business School, Northwestern, INSEAD, Georgetown, and the Sorbonne.

International education plays a large role in the Australian and New Zealand economies and is critically important. Both governments have coordinated admissions and immigration policies for foreign students. The universities in these countries are modeled on the UK system and have been educating large numbers of Indian and other Asian students for decades. There are relatively few universities in Oceania but some are ranked highly and tuition fees can be less than comparable schools in North America and Europe.  Most universities are located in the major cities with good flight connections to Asia. The region’s generally laid-back culture is also an attractive feature which makes the area popular with American and British study abroad students