Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS
Education
Top 7 Countries Offering Free Education to International Students as of 2020
Excerpts from an article by Erudera College News
Pursuing studies in another country is an experience most people dream about. To study abroad means to have the opportunity to get to meet new people, know new cultures, taste new foods, visit different places and learn many more new things along the way. In spite of this, leaving your home country and heading to another country to start your studies could become a complicated process and sometimes even cause difficulties for students to achieve the goal due to high university costs.
The good news is that there are many countries across the world where higher education is free of charge and students must pay only the administration fees. Here’s the list of top 7 countries offering free education to international students:
1. Germany
Almost all of the public universities in Germany do not require university tuition fees from German and international students. The only payment that students have to make is to cover the administration expenses, which could cost around €150-250. Over 40 universities in Germany have ranked among the best universities worldwide in World University Rankings. Despite the fact that there is no need to pay any tuition fee at most of the public universities, international students must bear in mind that they still need to pay for their living costs, unless they benefit from any scholarship. Also, if students come from a country where a student visa is needed, they have to provide the evidence that they possess €10,236 per year or €850 per month to cover the living costs.
2. Austria
Regarding the costs of higher education, Austria offers the same rights to Austrian and EU/EEA international students, who are allowed to study for free at any programme or degree level. However, students must pay an amount of €363 per semester once they register at any university in Austria. This fee increases if students come from outside of the EU/EEA countries.
3. Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is another country which offers free education to international students. However, in order to benefit from the free tuition fees at any public universities, students must know the local language. In case a student wants to continue studies in the English language, he/she needs to pay €4,000-12,000 as tuition fee per year.
4. Brazil
In Brazil, domestic and international students can study for free at most public universities and will have to pay only the registration fees. Whereas, at private higher education institutions, the amount that students have to pay depends on the university and the degree programme chosen. Prior to applying to any university in Brazil, students should undergo an exam through which they demonstrate that they know the Portuguese language. Brazil is also considered an affordable country for students.
5. France
International students can consider continuing studies in France due to its advanced education sector as well as because the higher education in the country is free at several universities. Students can also benefit from many scholarships granted by the French government, which start from €7,000 to €21,000. Living costs in the country are also affordable unless the students choose to live in the country’s capital Paris.
6. Finland
Another state where international students are free of paying tuition fees at universities is Finland, especially for post-graduate and doctoral students. The Finnish education system is also considered among the best ones in the whole world. Universities in Finland are mostly known to offer courses in the following fields of Designing, Architecture and Communication. Students coming from EU countries can study for free in Finland, while non-EU students who want to study in English must pay tuition fees.
7. Sweden
Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees are free at many universities in Sweden for Swedish students, EU/EEA students, as well as students from Switzerland, with the exception of non-EU students who must pay to study in Sweden. Meanwhile, PhD programmes are free for all students worldwide. Sweden also offers financial support to PhD students for their research work.
(For guidance regarding studies abroad, please e-mail ICS Career GPS at institute@icsmail.in)
Career
Warren Buffett’s Best Career Advice on Where You Should Go to Work is Priceless
By Marcel Shwantes, founder and chief human officer, leadership from the core@marcelschwanteS
In the book The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life, Buffett offers myriad opinions, including career advice to college students that you can apply to your own career path: “People ask me where they should go to work, and I always tell them to go to work for whom they admire the most. It’s crazy to take little in-between jobs just because they look good on your résumé. Do what you love and work for whom you admire the most, and you’ve given yourself the best chance in life you can.”
Forget the advice about climbing the elusive corporate ladder to build the perfect résumé that will land that coveted job at that dream company. No, the real key to success isn’t crafting the perfect background “on paper” — it’s finding someone for whom to work who holds the power to propel your career forward, faster than you would do on your own.
Plain and simple, the best job shouldn’t be the job that pays the most, but the one whose boss you admire the most – another reason why Buffett likes to quote Isaac Newton, who stated, “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
By neglecting this career lesson, Buffett says, you’re not giving yourself the best chance you can to succeed in life. And the reality may be that the “admirable” person could be someone in a leadership role at your company right now.
A leader worthy of admiration
The person you will eventually admire the most will undoubtedly be a leader to whom you’re willing to give your best effort.
There is a trade-off here: This is a leader who will set you up for long-term success, allow you to fail-forward, and give your work purpose and meaning. In return, there’s employee loyalty, commitment, and intrinsic motivation — matters of the heart that give companies true competitive advantage.
In turn, being mentored and guided by such leaders will catapult you to career success. It speaks volumes on how far and fast a career can advance when you’re under the leadership of someone who cares about you and your career development.
Admirable leaders, plainly stated, are labeled as such because they truly care about individual contributors on a human level. They are sincerely interested in getting to know them — their interests, concerns, dreams, strengths, gifts and goals.
And in the end, as Warren Buffett has attested, they will make those around them better and more successful.
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the above mentioned articles are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)
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