File photo of Study Abroad Expo 2025 in which Skill Development Minister Dr Sharanprakash Patil and Karnataka Skill Development Corporation Chairman Shivakantamma (Kantha) Naik and foreign delegates are seen in the photo.
“It was conducted for the first time last year, and provided information about education, specific degrees, scholarship and even job opportunities to over 10,000 students from 65 global educational institutions.
He also said that the govt often claims that stakeholders of the Expo can’t come down to smaller cities. Subodh Yadav, principal secretary, department of Skill Development Entrepreneurship and Livelihood, said the expo helps sensitise students about overseas education opportunities. “If that is the case, the department should at least sponsor travel expenses of meritorious students from each district for the expo. Only then can the expo really become a state level event. Otherwise it will facilitate students studying in Bengaluru alone,” he commented.
Hubballi: Karnataka Vocational Training and Skill Development Corporation (KVTSDC), under the department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood, will hold its second ‘Study Abroad Expo 2026’ in Bengaluru on Sept 6. The first edition was conducted in Bengaluru in Aug 2025. This year over 75 universities from over 10 countries are participating in the expo. Eligible students will get upto 50% scholarship.
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Sunil Kulkarni, president, Kalyana Karnataka Grahakara Vedike, Kalaburagi, told TOI that ideally, such expos should never happen in metro cities at all, as people there are more aware of the studies outside India. However, job aspirants, educationists and activists have questioned why the event continues to be restricted to the state capital. “It is important to create awareness among students of tier two or tier three cities. Currently, cities like Hubballi, Kalaburagi, Belagavi and Shivamogga can be considered for the expo,” he suggested. Prof Sandeep Budihal, state president, Karnataka State secondary teachers’ association, asserted that such an expo is much needed beyond Bengaluru. “No student can travel to Bengaluru from distant districts to attend only this expo. Moreover there is no sufficient publicity about the Expo in the rest of Bengaluru districts. It’s another discrimination not only for North Karnataka, but for all districts other than Bengaluru. The state govt should note that ace entrepreneurs like Sudha Murthy, Gururaj Deshpande, Nandan Nilekani emerged from districts other than Bengaluru,” he added. Participation is slowly building. It is true that students of all districts can’t attend the Expo. It is also true that it is slightly difficult to invite all stakeholders to smaller cities. However, we will explore possibilities to host the expo in revenue divisional headquarters like Kalaburagi, Belagavi and Mysuru in coming years,” he added. Download the TOI App.
When it was held in Bengaluru last year, students from the neighbouring districts like Kolar, Tumakuru, Ramanagar did not attend in good numbers.