4 reasons to go to study in Asia

Which countries come to mind first when we think about studying abroad? USA and European countries. Indeed, Europe is close and much more understandable. It's beautiful, tasty and comfortable there. It's cheap to fly there, the European mentality is close to us. And the opportunity to stay in the country after training and obtain dual citizenship attracts many.

However, as someone who has studied and lived on both ends of the continent, I can say that today the developed countries of Asia may be the best choice for learning and living. There are four reasons for this.

1. Availability of scholarships

As I wrote earlier, in many European countries you can study for free or almost free of charge.

But Asia is now not inferior to its Western counterparts in attracting international students. China leads in the volume and number of scholarships for international students. Korea, Japan and Singapore are also not far behind.

Scholarships in China →
Scholarships in South Korea →
Scholarships in Japan →
Scholarships in Singapore →

At the same time, finding a part-time job while studying in Asian countries is ten times easier than in Europe. At least because you can teach English and get very good money for it.

2. Economic growth and wide employment opportunities

Let's be honest, Europe is not that developed anymore. The economy is growing very slowly, business activity is not so high, and there are more and more problems with employment. In southern European countries, unemployment can reach 30% Unemployment in the EU regions in 2017.

In Asia, the opposite is true. China, Korea, Singapore are growing and developing. The domestic market is growing, more and more local and international companies are expanding their activities in the region. I have known many students and young professionals from Europe who moved to China simply because there are much higher chances of finding high-paying jobs even in European companies. Danon, Carrefour, Audi, BMW - they all open and expand their offices in Asia.

3. Developed service sector and innovation at the household level

After several years in Asia (I lived in Shanghai and Singapore), returning to Europe was a kind of culture shock. The roads are not so good, neither are the trains. Stores are closed on weekends and holidays, and in general, half of the services close early. In many places, you cannot pay by card, and it is generally unrealistic to meet Apple Pay support. Even Russia (namely Moscow) today has gone far ahead in the digitalization of the service sector.

Asia is even more advanced. Space speed of delivery, ubiquity of taxi services, bicycle rentals and more. In China, giants like WeChat and Alibaba have taken daily life to a whole new level: paying for everything, money transfers, booking tickets, ordering a taxi or food delivery, even investing in the stock market - everything can be done through one application. … Even on the street in a stall, you can buy fruits by paying for them using a QR code.

By the way, ATM manufacturers are leaving the Chinese market altogether, because no one else withdraws money or carries cash.

And also the inhabitants of Asia always work. You can order a roll of toilet paper at one in the morning, and it will be delivered by scooter in 15 minutes.

4. Special treatment of foreigners

Of course, no one massively belittles the Russians in Europe, as our national media represent. Still, a certain complicating factor of the fact that you are a foreigner is felt in Europe. To get a job, all other things being equal, you need to be more skilled, more active, and more disruptive than the locals.

In Asia, your "foreign face" is an advantage. Foreigners are much more actively accepted into universities: organizations are fighting to improve their international status by attracting more students from abroad.

As you can see, there are excellent prospects for education and career building not only in the countries of Europe that are familiar to us, but also in more distant countries of Asia. Do not limit your possibilities, the whole world is open in front of you!