Are Indians graduating from UK universities satisfied with their careers?

At least 51 per cent Indians graduating from universities in the UK earn above average and around 82 per cent of them are satisfied with their careers, according to a report launched by the Universities UK International, a collective body representing over 130 universities from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

According to the Indian Graduate Outcomes Report, 2019, released on Wednesday here, 51 per cent of all Indians graduating from the United Kingdom say they earn above or well above average compared to their contemporaries in India.

Sixty per cent of Indian respondents surveyed said they were in their current jobs because it was exactly the type of work they wanted to do, with 82 per cent saying they were satisfied or very satisfied with their careers, the report said.

Over 1,000 Indians and a total of 16,000 students from different nationalities who had completed their studies between January 2011 and July 2016 were surveyed to understand their experience of studying in the UK, their satisfaction with their education and their current jobs.

The respondents include citizens from the United States of America, China, India, Germany, Nigeria, Greece, Malaysia, Italy, France and Romania.

"The job satisfaction of UK graduates is higher, because chances of getting the job of one's choice markedly increases. I think this also leads to more effective work performance and logically, more recognition for one's work. The likelihood of UK graduates working in India in managerial roles was 23 per cent higher than the global average," Director Universities UK International (UUKi) Vivienne Stern said.

According to the latest immigration statistics released by the UK Home Office, there has been a 42 per cent increase in the number of Indian students going to the UK for studies.

A delegation of senior representatives from 20 UK universities is currently in India to engage Indian stakeholders to understand the vision and priority areas of the Indian government, governing bodies and higher education institutes to assess the role UK universities and the country can play to further strengthen the relationship and identify shared priorities for future collaboration particularly in education and research.

The visit is part of a higher education-focused bilateral programme -- UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) -- helmed by the British Council.