Ayana N K
Background
Kerala has long been recognised for its high literacy rate, strong social development, and relatively inclusive educational environment. Yet, the state faces a paradox in higher education. While Kerala produces a highly educated population, many of its students leave the state and the country in search of better academic opportunities. A Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) study found that Kerala, despite having less than 3 percent of India’s population, accounted for around 4 percent of the 1.32 million Indian students who went abroad for higher studies in 2022. This makes internationalisation important not only for improving Kerala’s universities but also for creating a higher education system capable of attracting students from outside the state.
The Study in Kerala initiative can be understood within this larger shift. The programme seeks to promote Kerala as an international higher education destination and attract students and academics from South Asia, Africa, and other parts of the world. More importantly, it creates an opportunity to use education as an instrument of soft power. Unlike traditional diplomacy, which is largely conducted through governments, educational exchanges create direct and lasting connections between people, institutions, and communities.
International students studying in Kerala would experience the state’s academic institutions, culture, society, and everyday life. These personal experiences can shape how they understand and perceive Kerala long after they complete their studies. In this way, universities can become spaces of people-to-people diplomacy, where classrooms, campuses, research projects, and cultural activities create relationships that formal diplomatic channels may not easily establish.
The same applies to international academics and researchers. Faculty exchanges, joint research, visiting scholar programmes, academic conferences, and institutional partnerships can create long-term networks between Kerala and institutions abroad. These networks can later support cooperation in areas extending beyond education, including technology, development, healthcare, culture, and the economy.
Kerala’s large diaspora can further strengthen this process. Former international students, academics, and diaspora communities can act as informal ambassadors of Kerala, carrying their academic and cultural experiences into their own societies. Thus, Study in Kerala is not simply an initiative to increase foreign student enrolment. It has the potential to build educational networks that generate trust, cultural affinity, institutional partnerships, and goodwill. Through this approach, Kerala’s universities can become important channels of sub-national diplomacy, allowing the state to build international connections while strengthening its own higher education system.
Functioning
Study in Kerala works as a state-level coordination programme under the international wing of the Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC). It works with individual universities and their international offices to attract foreign students, academics, and institutions to Kerala. For example, the University of Kerala’s Centre for Global Academics (CGA) manages international admissions, cooperation, and exchange programmes.
The programme mainly works in three areas. First is outreach and promotion. KSHEC and the Higher Education Department connect with foreign institutions, diplomatic missions, and diaspora networks to promote Kerala’s universities and courses. Kerala’s high literacy, social development, and connections with South Asia, Africa, the Gulf, and Western countries can help attract international students.
Second is support for universities. Universities are encouraged to offer more opportunities for international students, including short-term exchanges, semester programmes, faculty-led programmes, and full-degree courses. The programme also aims to make the admission process easier for international students.
Third is building international academic networks. Programmes such as Brain Gain and Scholar Connect help strengthen connections with Kerala-origin academics living abroad. Scholar Connect, launched in February 2026, aims to connect with academics in countries such as the US, UK, Japan, and the UAE. These connections can support knowledge sharing, research, and academic cooperation.
The programme also focuses on improving the quality of higher education. Initiatives such as the Kerala Institutional Ranking Framework (KIRF) and the State Assessment and Accreditation Centre (SAAC) are intended to improve the quality and credibility of Kerala’s universities. Good academic quality is important for attracting and retaining international students. It mainly works as a coordination and promotion platform rather than a centralised system. Individual universities continue to decide their courses, fees, admissions, and arrangements for international students. This gives universities flexibility, but the implementation of the programme may differ from one institution to another.
Performance
Data on the performance of Study in Kerala is still limited and mostly available at the individual university level. However, the available figures show a small but clear increase in international participation. The University of Kerala’s Centre for Global Academics reported hosting 218 international students from 53 countries in 2024. Most of these students came from South Asia and Africa, along with some short-term groups from the United States and Europe. Applications to the university also increased significantly, from around 1,600 in 2023–24 to more than 2,600 in 2024–25.
The University of Kerala has also improved its ranking. It moved up 16 positions in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2023 rankings. This improvement has been linked by KSHEC officials to the university’s growing appeal and credibility among students.
At the state level, Kerala is also planning to expand higher education. The Kerala Higher Education Reforms Commission has recommended increasing the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) to 60 percent by 2031 and 75 percent by 2036. These targets are higher than the National Education Policy 2020 target of 50 percent by 2035.
However, the progress is still mainly seen in a few leading institutions. Kerala also does not appear to have a single state-wide system that tracks international student enrolment, retention, and outcomes across all universities under Study in Kerala. Because of this, it is difficult to know whether the growth seen at the University of Kerala reflects the wider system or is mainly the result of the university’s own efforts.
Impact
The impact of Study in Kerala can be understood at three levels: institutional, economic, and diplomatic.
At the institutional level, the increase in international students and improvement in university rankings can help Kerala’s public universities gain greater international visibility. This is important because many of these universities have faced competition from private institutions in neighbouring Karnataka for both Indian and international students.
At the economic level, the impact is still not well documented. International students contribute to the economy through tuition fees and their spending on accommodation, food, travel, and other services. Over time, alumni networks could also create opportunities for trade, investment, and tourism. However, there is currently no published state-level assessment that measures these economic benefits specifically for Kerala. Therefore, the economic impact of the programme is still difficult to measure.
At the diplomatic and soft-power level, Study in Kerala can help build long-term relationships between Kerala and other countries through education. The Scholar Connect platform is an important part of this effort. The state government has described it as the first dedicated digital platform in India for institutionalising engagement with the academic diaspora. Although it is not directly focused on student recruitment, it supports the same broader goal of building Kerala’s international academic connections.
Whether these efforts will create lasting soft power will depend on their long-term results, such as stronger alumni networks, international university partnerships, and greater recognition of Kerala as a higher education destination.
Emerging Issues
Several challenges need attention as Study in Kerala expands.
Data and monitoring: Kerala does not yet have a single state-wide system to track international student enrolment, retention, and outcomes after graduation. This makes it difficult to measure the overall performance of the programme and identify institutions that need more support.
Limits of state autonomy: Important areas such as visa policies, foreign investment in education, and formal international agreements come under the Union government. This limits how far Kerala can independently work with foreign governments and institutions.
Continued student outmigration: Many students from Kerala still leave the state and the country for higher education. Unless the number of international students coming to Kerala increases significantly, the state may continue to have a strong outward flow of students.
Institutional capacity and governance: Kerala’s Higher Education Reforms Commission has also pointed to governance problems, including concerns about politicised faculty appointments. Such issues can affect the quality and credibility of universities and may influence the decisions of international students and their families.
Concentration in a few universities: Most of the current growth appears to be concentrated in a small number of leading universities. If more institutions do not participate, Study in Kerala may remain limited to a few successful universities instead of creating wider changes across the state’s higher education system.
Growing competition: Other Indian states are also trying to attract international students and build global academic connections. Kerala therefore needs to strengthen its higher education system and international presence if it wants to establish a strong position in India’s international education sector.
Way Forward
Build a monitoring system: KSHEC should create a state-wide and publicly accessible system to track international student enrolment, countries of origin, retention, and outcomes after graduation. This would help measure the progress of the programme and identify where more support is needed.
Strengthen international offices: More universities should have dedicated international offices with the ability to develop partnerships, credit-transfer arrangements, and joint-degree programmes. This would reduce the dependence on a few leading universities.
Connect diaspora networks with student recruitment: Platforms such as Scholar Connect and Brain Gain can be used not only to connect with academics abroad but also to support student recruitment and alumni mentoring. This can turn Kerala’s diaspora networks into stronger links for attracting international students.
Develop courses based on Kerala’s strengths: Kerala can offer short, credit-based programmes in areas where the state has particular strengths, such as public health, backwater ecology, Ayurveda, and coastal climate resilience. A possible “Semester in Kerala” programme could also make the state more attractive to international students.
Work closely with the Union government: Kerala should work with the Union government on issues such as student visas and regulations for foreign universities. Early coordination can help reduce difficulties as the number of international students increases.
Improve governance and quality: Implementing the recommendations of the Higher Education Reforms Commission, especially those related to transparent faculty recruitment, can improve the credibility and quality of Kerala’s universities.
Measure the economic impact: Kerala should conduct a study to measure how international students contribute to the state’s economy through education, accommodation, travel, and other spending. This would provide stronger evidence for continued investment in Study in Kerala.
References
- Kerala State Higher Education Council. (2025). Programmes & Initiatives: Study in Kerala. KSHEC. https://www.kshec.kerala.gov.in
- The PIE News. (2024, August 9). Kerala on mission to attract international students. https://thepienews.com/kerala-on-mission-to-attract-international-students/
- University of Kerala. Centre for Global Academics (CGA). https://www.keralauniversity.ac.in/CGA
- British Council. Landmark policy reform in Kerala allows entry of private HEIs. https://opportunities-insight.britishcouncil.org/short-articles/news/landmark-policy-reform-kerala-allows-entry-of-private-heis
- Careers360. (2022, August 29). Kerala panel proposes faculty recruitment board, law to curb corruption in higher education. https://news.careers360.com
- Careers360 / Press Trust of India. (2026, February 8). Kerala to launch portal to connect higher education institutions with scholars from US, UK, Japan, UAE. https://news.careers360.com
- The News Minute. (2026, June 10). Beyond degrees: How Kerala can build a global higher education hub. https://www.thenewsminute.com
- Onmanorama. (2026, July 27). Kerala must become a global destination for higher education, says CM at JAIN University’s Deeksharambh. https://www.onmanorama.com
About the Contributor
Ayana N K is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calicut. With a keen interest in public policy, international relations, and development studies. She enjoys researching contemporary social and political issues and exploring how policies shape society. Through her internship at IMPRI, she looks forward to engaging with diverse perspectives, strengthening her research and analytical skills, and contributing to meaningful and evidence-based policy discourse.
Acknowledgements
The author extends her sincere gratitude to the IMPRI team for their expert guidance and constructive feedback throughout the process.
Reviewed by Adithya Chavan and Amrutha Lahari Kolluru
Disclaimer
All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organization.
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