Foreign voice students

Misleading advertising Bokor Moussa, from the Republic of Chad, is a student of Bangalore University and president (Karnataka) of the Association of African Students in India. Why did you choose India as your higher education destination? The quality of education in India is good and there are many foreign students studying here. India is also one of the fastest developing countries and one of the most powerful economic hubs of the world. Did you find it easy to get accommodation? It’s not easy to find accommodation in Bangalore. Most home owners refuse to rent their properties to African students. We have to rely on real estate brokers who charge us heavy commissions. Any other problems you face as a foreign student in India? What colleges advertise in our countries is very different from reality. Some colleges don’t have proper classrooms, labs and good teachers. They just want to make money from foreign students who pay higher fees. The FRRO (Foreign Regional Registration Office) staff is impatient and not helpful. The police are also not very helpful and don’t trust us. Unsatisfactory experience Huguette Ket Mbay (21), a Congolese national, is currently a second year biotechnology student at Sharda University, Noida. Why did you choose India as a higher education destination? Education in India is comparatively cheaper than in Thailand or Singapore. Also, it’s closer to home. Did you find it easy to get residential accommodation? There is a hostel for international students but the facilities and the quality of food are not upto expectation. Plus there are too many restrictions and accommodation is limited. Most of us have to fend for ourselves with no assistance from the university when it comes to finding accommodation. I found it very difficult to rent a flat. Some housing societies refuse to rent to foreign students. How satisfied are you with your learning experience? Not much. In a degree programme such as biotechnology, the focus should be on practical and research-based learning rather than theory and textbook learning. I hope the third year curriculum is more up-to-date and placements are good. When an institute projects itself as an international university offering programmes in the English medium, it’s expected the faculty and staff can communicate in English. Surprisingly, communicating in English is a major problem here not just with the office staff but also with some teachers. Your experience as a woman student in Delhi… I generally avoid travelling during late evenings. Even otherwise, auto-rickshaw drivers pretend not to have understood and take us in a wrong direction if we aren’t firm. I have to be extra careful and attentive when travelling alone. What are other problems you face as a foreign student in India? I am from Africa and people for some reason find me strange. They come up with bizarre requests such as ‘Can I touch your hair or skin?’ No one has passed racist remarks directly, but we have to get used to strange looks and jibes in public places. No complaints Ojeshwini Singh,…