Ivory Tower: PAU students see rise in foreign university selections

In a powerful display of academic ambition and global aspiration, students from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) are increasingly charting international careers, gaining admission to top institutions across the globe.

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Data shared by the university reveals a consistent surge in students—particularly from the College of Agriculture (CoA)—pursuing higher education abroad. While the 2017–18 academic year saw about 38 per cent of CoA students heading overseas, the numbers dipped during the pandemic but rebounded sharply by 2021–22, with participation from the College of Horticulture and Forestry (COHF) as well. A remarkable jump came in 2022–23, when international admissions more than doubled, with 78 per cent of outbound students hailing from CoA, followed by 20 per cent from the College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology (COAET), and smaller yet notable representation from the College of Community Science (COCS) and COHF. The 2023–24 data echoed a similar trend, with CoA maintaining the lead at 55 per cent. Interim figures from 2024–25 reinforce this momentum, showcasing a diversified student presence from all major colleges.

In total, 78.6 per cent of students studying abroad belong to CoA, with COAET at 8.9 per cent, COCS at 6.8 per cent, and COHF at 5.7 per cent. The United States remains the top destination (218 students), followed by Canada (137), Australia (25), Europe (7) and the United Kingdom (3).

The universities where students are gaining admission in the United States include Auburn University, Penn State University, University of Texas, New Mexico University, University of Florida, University of North Carolina, and the University of Kansas, among others. In Canada, the most sought-after institutions include Brandon University, McGill University, University of Georgia and University of Guelph. In Australia, students are joining Federation University, University of Melbourne and Western Sydney University. European admissions include University of Galway and Uppsala University. In the United Kingdom, students from PAU have secured places at the University of Greenwich, University of Scotland and the John Innes Centre.

PAU Vice-Chancellor Dr Satbir Singh Gosal views this global leap as a form of “placement”, attributing the success to the university’s academic rigour and the guidance of world-renowned faculty like Dr Gurdev Khush. “We are proud of our students. With international mentors guiding them, their future is only getting brighter,” he said.

“I never imagined that my journey from the fields of Ludhiana to the classrooms of Texas would be this transformative,” said Harleen Kaur, a graduate of PAU’s College of Agriculture who recently secured admission to Texas State University. “PAU gave me a strong foundation—not just academically, but in terms of confidence and global awareness. The exposure to international faculty and research at PAU made me believe I could thrive anywhere. At Texas State, I’m now working on sustainable farming models that could one day benefit Punjab itself. It feels like I’m carrying a piece of home into every lecture.”