In today's fiercely competitive environment, it is not so much the lure of foreign degrees as it is the limited access to higher education in India that is the driving force behind this migratory exercise. In the past, most students went to the US for postgraduate studies. Today, most students are going overseas for undergraduate studies and the US is not necessarily their first choice. Several countries like the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and France, among others, are offering exciting educational opportunities that are internationally acceptable and cost competitive with the result that many students, who might not have otherwise, are now shopping around for a foreign degree or diploma.

The current flavour of the year is New Zealand, the country brought alive through the box-office success of Kaho Na... Pyar Hai. And not just for tourists. In fact, the last two years have seen a dramatic rise in the numbers of students to Australia -- from a mere trickle of a few hundred to almost 9,000 last year, overtaking the traditional second position of the UK. This has alerted neighbouring New Zealand, which, with a similar English language educational infrastructure, is suddenly scrambling to catch up.

Hritik Roshan's antics with Ameesha Patel on the slopes around Queenstown have therefore come at an opportune time, and Indians are discovering that New Zealand has much more than just exquisitely beautiful locales.

Of course, a large part of this phenomenon has also been the awareness that international level education facilities are not only for those born with a silver spoon. World-class higher education facilities in the English language are available at a price that is extremely cost competitive. And because cost is a major factor of consideration, Indian students are finding that living and tuition costs in New Zealand compare well with other countries, with some costs being significantly lower than for comparable programmes in other countries. For example, tuition fees for international students in New Zealand vary from NZ$ 10,000-15,000 for undergraduate, and around NZ$ 15,000-20,000 for Master's programmes; living costs hover around NZ$ 10,000, making a total of around Rs 7-8 lakh a year as against a minimum of Rs 15 lakh per year for tuition fees alone at any good US university.

While cost is a major consideration, the admission procedures for NZ universities are also less complicated. Studies in New Zealand are more or less on the same pattern as studies in Australia. Universities and polytechnics in New Zealand too accept Indian academic standards and may only require proof of English proficiency. There are no requirements for SAT or GRE test scores. Those students lacking English language proficiency may, however, need to submit their TOEFL or IELTS examination scores, or take a foundation course, during which they can practice English while starting work in their particular discipline. However, there are very few students from India who need to go through the foundation course for English. Like the Australian academic year, in New Zealand, the academic year extends from February to early March to November, when they have their long summer vacation. All universities operate on a semester system with two semesters each year, February to June, and July to November, each semesterbroken by a study break of one or two weeks. Some institutes allow intake of students for both semesters, which works well for Indian students, who can start in July. Applications need to go in by April/May for the term beginning the next February, or by February/March, pending the results, for the July semester.

Most universities and polytechnics in New Zealand offer both degree and professional diploma courses. These range from 1-2 years for the certificate and diploma programmes to 3-4 year courses for a degree. Moreover, all programmes have the flexibility to make changes mid-course, whether in subjects, programmes or duration of study. This enables students to pick up only the qualifications they require, and the courses they can afford.

In fact, in New Zealand's system of education, diploma courses also provide one with the necessary qualification to get a good job, and both universities and polytechnics offer diploma and certificate courses. While a university is involved in more theoretical and research oriented academic programmes, polytechnics offer professional and vocational studies that are practical, technologically up-to-date and relevant to work needs. The qualifications, however, are recognised internationally and lead to hundreds of different careers, from business, computing, tourism or hospitality to engineering, performing arts or management. There are a couple of students from India, graduates in different disciplines currently doing post-graduate diploma programmes in areas as diverse as sound technology, fitness training and visual communication, all leading to specific jobs in each discipline.

All training establishments are registered with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority, and visas are only granted for courses of study accredited through the New Zealand Qualifications Authorities.

Moreover, if students get a job in New Zealand after completing their course, they can apply for a work permit and stay on. This is a major incentive for study in this verdantly green and clean country. With a population as small as it is, 3.8 million in a country the size of Great Britain, New Zealanders have begun to realise that it is far wiser to provide immigration status to those educated in their own system than those not. So over the last year, students who have studied in New Zealand, qualify for several points that makes them eligible for immigration. Shruti Singh, a top honour student of the Bachelor of Business course at the Auckland University of Technology, was snapped up by their international consulting firm, Ernst & Young, after she completed her management degree. This gave her a huge advantage when applying for permanent residence.

As a country, New Zealand offers a great lifestyle. It has a wonderfully varied unspoilt landscape ranging from sandy beaches and dark wooden forests, glaciers and volcanoes to large, cosmopolitan cities, spread over two main islands and several smaller ones. Dynamic, cosmopolitan cities no matter how small, provide a variety of cultural experiences. As one enthusiastic student told me: "We've some pretty sophisticated cities here -- we've got night life, we've got the arts, theatre, lots of outdoor life, sports. It's not just open spaces and 40 million sheep." Other than the larger cities like Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, there are smaller cities like Hamilton and Dunnedin, the University city of the south island that offer all the recreational facilities of a metro city.

Wanganui, a small quiet town in the north island, which attracts students from around the world to its Computer and Graphics Design programme at the Wanganui Polytechnic, even boasts of an opera house where performances are held regularly. International students also feel very welcome in New Zealand. In fact what strikes a visitor to New Zealand is the multi-cultural atmosphere arising from the Polynesian, Asian and European immigrant communities intermingling with the indigenous Maori people. And New Zealanders are friendly easy-going people, famous for their warm hospitality.

``They are very warm, and one can make friends quite easily,'' says Rajendran, a first year student at the Auckland Institute of Studies at St Helens in Auckland. ``I tell my friends back home, and my cousin sister who wants to come here that it is very safe. Parents don't have to be worried because the people are very friendly and always ready to help if you have a problem.''

Most institutes take particular care with international students, and there is normally an international officer who handles the special needs of students from overseas. Anne Batten-Thomas at the Wanganui Polytechnic takes a personal interest and pride in all the international students in her care, from picking them up at the airport, going shopping for a mattress for their rooms to helping them open a bank account -- she helps them with all the little details that ensure they settle down well. ``If I suddenly have a problem, even in the middle of the night, I can call her, and she will help,'' says Varnon, a student from Mumbai doing his graduation diploma in Graphic Design at the Wanganui Polytechnic. ``She's like a good friend, and really takes an interest in our welfare. Often, my mother phones her, rather than me, to find out how I'm doing.''