Relative increase in international students enrolled in PU: Survey

After good news of Panjab University (PU) ranking among the top 250 universities of the world in a latest ranking released by Times Higher Education,number of international students getting admission in the university has also recorded an increase,with the maximum number of students from Iran making their way to the varsity. PU has enrolled a total of 140 international students in the current academic session,as compared to last year’s 124,which includes students from Iran,Canada,Afghanistan,Vietnam,Myanmar,Thailand,England,Australia,Germany,USA,Sweden,Singapore,Nepal,Iraq and Ethiopia.

Iran with a total of 60 students enrolled in various departments in PU,leads the pack with the maximum number of students from a country,followed by Canada and Afghanistan with 21 and 16 students respectively. However,it is the students from Afganistan who are in a majority in city colleges. A PU official said,students from Iran are mostly enrolled in the PhD programmes and the post graduate courses offered by the university,while those from Afganistan usually come for undergraduate courses which are offered in city colleges. While courses in Psychology and English are favourite among students from Iran,it is Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) course offered by Dr Harvansh Singh Judge Institute of Dental Sciences & Hospital,PU that has emerged at the top with the maximum number of foreign students enrolled in it,followed by laws and economics.

In a sharp contrast to last year,SGGS College,Sector 26 has emerged as the college with the maximum number of international students,beating DAV College,Sector 10,which used to be the top choice among the foreign students. While,the number of foreign students studying in SGGS College,Sector 26 has increased from 40 to 71 this year,DAV College,Sector 10 admitted only 67 such students as compared to 86 last year.

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“Most of these students avail the scholarships instituted by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR),which invites foreign scholars to visit India through its International Collaboration Programme (ICP). Only students who enroll themselves in the self-financed courses are required to pay the academic fee,while,it is paid by ICSSR for students who are enrolled in other courses,” explained a PU official. Out of 140 foreign students enrolled in the university this year,17 students have won the ICSSR scholarships and one student has got admission after being awarded CV Raman scholarship.

Meanwhile,as the number of international students studying in PU campus is increasing in the last few years,it has declined relatively in the city colleges affiliated to PU,with only 235 students enrolled in the current academic session,compared to 284 last year.

Academic Session Total international

Students

2011-12 114

2012-13 124

2013-14 140