The Central University of Kerala (CUK) has marked a record increase in the number of applications from foreign students.
According to university officials, 255 applications were received for undergraduate, postgraduate and research programmes in various departments. Last year, the university had 15 applications from foreign students.
The university has received 117 applications for postgraduate courses, 64 for research and 74 for undergraduate courses this academic year.
The largest number of students was from Afghanistan at 43, followed by Bangladesh (22), and Ethiopia (11). Students from 27 countries, including Syria, South Africa, Ghana, Uganda, Iraq, Yemen, Tanzania, Nepal, Sudan, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Kenya, and Indonesia have applied for admission.
Management studies
The largest number of applications are to the Department of Management Studies with 85 opting for the programme. Public health and community medicine (23), computer science (19), commerce and international business (16), English and comparative literature (13) and economics (11) top the list.
The Academic Council had earlier decided to increase the total number of seats for each course by 10 per cent for foreign students without affecting the existing seats that make it a total of about 220 seats.
Foreign students apply online through the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) under the Central government. They can apply to five universities in India on a priority basis.
The University Office of International Affairs headed by Prof. Vincent Mathew, Director and Ravikumar Kanaparthi, Joint Director, is responsible for admissions.
Vice-Chancellor H. Venkateshwarlu is the Chairman of the Advisory Committee. ICCR Thiruvananthapuram Regional Director K. Ayyanar, teachers Prof. K. Arukumar, Dr. Chithra Manissery, and Dr. Smitha Sudheer are members of the advisory committee.
Responding to the media, the Vice-Chancellor said that it was a matter of pride and joy that the Central University of Kerala was attracting international attention.
He expressed the hope that the arrival of foreign students would not only enhance the academic atmosphere of the university but would enrich the cultural diversity of the campus and strengthen cultural exchange.
