Why GenAI is the Key to Solving The Problem Of International Student Mobility

International student mobility is undergoing a seismic shift. Once dominated by the US, UK, and a handful of European nations, the landscape is now reshaping due to shifting visa policies, rising costs, and growing aspirations in emerging economies. Students today are not just choosing destinations for prestige — they are evaluating long-term returns, post-study opportunities, cultural integration, and support systems that help them thrive abroad. Against this backdrop, Indian students in particular are at the center of a global trend: ambitious, mobile, and ready to seize opportunities — if the right pathways are made accessible.

🚧 The Pain Points

• The US denied 41% of Indian student visa applications between 2023 and 2024 — the highest rejection rate in a decade. And this is only going to grow under the current administration. The dream of a US education is no longer guaranteed, leaving thousands in limbo.
• Students are now facing confusing, fragmented information when exploring alternative destinations. France has emerged as a compelling destination in recent years, offering high-quality education, relatively affordable tuition, and rich cultural experiences. Yet, the journey from aspiration to adaptation is rarely straightforward. Visa processes, funding, cultural differences, and the challenge of establishing yourself in a new academic system often create barriers that can feel overwhelming.

⚡ The Need for a New Approach

Traditional counselling and agency-driven models cannot keep up with the scale, speed, and complexity of today’s student mobility. What’s needed is a personalised, data-driven, and adaptive system that guides students at every step…and not just with admissions, but also with integration, careers, and cultural readiness.

🤖 Why Generative AI?

Generative AI has the ability to:

• Simplify complexity → Decode visas, housing, paperwork, and acronyms in plain language.
• Personalise guidance at scale → Tailor recommendations on universities, programs, and career tracks based on individual goals.
• Enhance cultural readiness → Train students on etiquette, workplace norms, and communication styles.
• Bridge academia and careers → With AI-powered CV adaptation, interview prep, and networking strategy.

✨ Ask Sétu: A Generative AI-powered bridge for Indian students in France

At Ask Sétu, we believe that technology is not just about efficiency. It’s about building bridges that empower students to thrive, academically and personally.

Step 1: Finding the Right School and Course

Choosing a program in France can be daunting, with hundreds of universities and specialised grandes écoles, each with different requirements. Traditionally, students rely on consultants or spend weeks piecing together fragmented information online.

Generative AI can change this. By analysing your academic background, career aspirations, and even personal preferences, AI-driven tools can recommend programs that are not just “prestigious,” but truly aligned with your goals. Instead of generic lists, you get a curated set of options, helping you avoid costly mistakes and mismatched choices.

Step 2: Funding and Financial Planning

Studying abroad requires careful financial preparation. Tuition, housing deposits, and everyday expenses add up quickly. Our platform uses AI to personalise financial guidance: it can identify scholarships you may qualify for, simulate cost-of-living scenarios for different French cities, and even help you draft realistic monthly budgets.

Paired with our Smart Packing List download, students arrive not only with the right essentials but also with an informed understanding of what costs lie ahead, thus reducing financial surprises.

Step 3: Securing Accommodation

Finding housing in France is one of the most stressful aspects of relocation. From navigating French-language rental agreements to identifying safe neighbourhoods, the process often feels opaque.

Here, Generative AI-driven chat assistants can act as guides: demystifying documents, flagging unusual terms in leases, and connecting you with trusted housing platforms. Instead of going in blind, you approach the housing market with clarity and confidence.

Step 4: Setting Up a Bank Account

Banking is another hurdle. International students often struggle with the paperwork required to open an account in France, from proof of residence to financial guarantors. AI tools can generate personalised checklists, remind you of missing documents, and even simulate conversations to help you understand banking terminology before stepping into a branch. Ask Sétu can also guide students towards neobanks like Bunq that can make student life easier with a friction-less setting up process.

It’s a small but crucial step: once your finances are sorted, daily life becomes significantly smoother.

Step 5: Improving Cultural Readiness

Culture shock is real. From navigating classroom etiquette to understanding social norms, students often underestimate the adjustment required. This is where our Basic Survival Kit comes in, offering practical tips for daily life in France.

Building on that, AI simulations can prepare students for real-life interactions — ordering food, addressing professors, or using public transport. With real-time language support and cultural insights, students don’t just “get by” — they begin to integrate more meaningfully into their new environment.

Step 6: Preparing for the Job Market

A degree is only part of the story. Many students come to France hoping to gain international work experience after graduation. Yet, breaking into the French job market requires strong CVs, familiarity with workplace norms, and networking skills.

Here, Ask Sétu’s CV Tips & Guidelines can help to provide a strong foundation. Beyond that, Generative AI can suggest targeted improvements, and even simulate interview scenarios tailored to the French context. Instead of generic career advice, you can receive feedback grounded in the specific expectations of French employers.

Building Bridges, Not Just Tools

What makes Generative AI transformative in this context is not the novelty of the technology, but its ability to personalise and contextualise guidance. Instead of navigating dozens of disconnected processes, students interact with a system that understands where they are in their journey and anticipates what they’ll need next.

Ask Sétu is being built around this philosophy: that international student mobility should not be an obstacle course, but a supported pathway. By combining AI-powered guidance with practical resources like packing lists, survival kits, and CV frameworks, we aim to ensure that students not only reach France but also settle, succeed, and thrive once they arrive.

In the end, the student journey is deeply personal. No algorithm can capture the full richness of leaving one’s home country to build a new life abroad. But with the right application, Generative AI can remove the avoidable barriers, so students can focus on what matters most: learning, growing, and making the most of their time in France.