PICTURE PERFECT: The University of Toronto is a top draw for foreign students

How about a course that teaches the art of wine tasting or the skills required to manage a golf course? Or are you more interested in a regular engineering or a management degree? The land of the maple leaf can satisfy your urge to study conventional courses as well as specialised vocational programmes ? the added perks being a safe environment, low costs and multicultural classrooms.

Canada also happens to be the world leader in information technology and animation studies. Dennis Turner, Steve Williams and James Strauss ?? names associated with movies such as Star Trek, Twister, Jurassic Park, Forrest Gump, The Flintstones and Jumanji ?? have all passed out of Canadian animation colleges.

Canada is also known for its excellence in telecommunications, engineering, aerospace, microelectronics, medical devices, hydroelectric and nuclear power, biotechnology, food and beverage processing and ocean and environmental industries.

That explains why 2,000 students head to Canada every year making it the fourth most popular destination for Indian students. ?Some of the most sought-after courses among Indian students are in the fields of business, engineering, IT, animation, computer-aided design and broadcast journalism,? points out Maria Mathai, manager, Canadian Education Centre, Delhi. The centre gets about 25,000 admission enquiries every year.

With 92 universities, 175 community colleges and technical institutes, you have a wide array of courses to choose from in Canada. While the universities offer academic and professional degree programmes, the community colleges are not affiliated to universities and offer vocational and professional diplomas and certificates.

?Canada offers holistic education. Unlike in India, there is no rote learning before exams. The stress is more on practical learning,? says 18-year-old Dhananjay Ghildyal, a first-year student of electrical engineering at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Canada. Ghildyal finds the serious outlook towards education in Canada commendable.

For undergraduate programmes and professional courses, scores of the Test Of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) are required. For MBA programmes, the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) scores are taken into consideration.

As compared to the US and the UK, studying in Canada is more economical. According to the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, if the total cost of studying in the UK is $32,045, and that in the US is $43,451, then in Canada it is only $18,841. The country spends more money per capita on education as compared to any other country in the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Also, all Canadian post-secondary institutions are publicly funded. ?Even though the cost of education is cheap, it has not resulted in any compromise in the quality of education. Their study programmes are excellent,? feels Ghildyal.

In addition to the superior quality of education, Canada?s multiculturalism is another factor that makes it an ideal place for Indian students. ?In my class, only 15 per cent of the students were of Canadian origin, the rest were from as many as 22 to 23 countries,? says Sandeep Chadha, a real estate manager who studied management in the University of British Columbia in 2004.

Forget racism, Canadians are warm and hospitable. Moreover, Canada has a large Asian population. ?For me the best part about Canada were its people. They made me feel at home completely,? says Chadha.

There are also ample opportunities for employment. The government allows students to stay on for a year to look for a job after completing studies. With your performance in that one year, you can convince your employers to extend your visa. It?s worthwhile if you are getting a chance to study in a country that has one of the lowest inflation rates, been ranked the best place to live in the world seven consecutive times by the UN.