Geopolitical conflicts may contribute to a drastic decline in the number of new Indian students to study in China in the coming year. After the challenge of COVID-19, Indian students claim they have fresh reservations and are re-evaluating plans to study in the region, study abroad consultants report.

But most of the current Indian students evacuated from China following the outbreak of COVID-19 claim they are preparing to return to China to resume studies, amid tensions following the border clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in Ladakh this month.

Indians are the fourth largest contingent of international students in China, which is especially common among Indian medical students due to inexpensive full course fees. Many Indian students are also unable to overcome a highly rigorous National Eligibility Cum Admission Examination (NEET), an Indian entrance exam for students aspiring to pursue undergraduate medical (MBBS) and dental (BDS) courses.

According to data from India’s Ministry of Human Resources Development, almost 23,000 students from India have enrolled in Chinese universities. Among them, 21,000 studied medicine, with most of the remaining students taking engineering, management and language courses.

Many Indian students traveled from China to India after the outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan City on 23 January. Most of these students claim that they intend to pursue their studies given the heightened conflict between the two countries, as they have invested a lot of money.