Foreign students continue to shy away from RU

Foreign students have been shying away from Rajshahi University (RU) due to admission complexities and security concerns. Sources say the teaching medium, which is Bengali, the year-based academic system and a complicated admission procedures are the main reasons to keep foreign students away from RU. Seats reserved for international students lie vacant year after year, but the varsity has not taken any steps to attract them. So, many demestic students are being denied admission to RU.

Only 17 students from two countries—13 from Nepal and four from Somalia—applied for admission here in the 2018-19 academic year.

In total, 29 students had been enrolled for the academic session 2016-17, while the number of admission seekers were 34—the highest in a single year in the RU’s 63-year-old history.

Among them, 11 were from Nepal, three from Somalia, one from Jordan and nine others from various countries.  All of them applied for graduate-level courses. Earlier, seven foreign students had taken admission here for the 2015–16 academic session. All of them were Nepalese.

RU acting registrar Prof. MA Bari said: “Only 17 students have been enrolled. this year Among them, four students have joined the crop science and technology department. Six students have opted for veterinary and animal science, two for pharmacy, two for electrical and electronic engineering, and one each for the computer science and engineering, geography and mining, and information and communication engineering.” AHM Aslam Hossain, deputy registrar of the campus, said the students would be enrolled here after getting a no-objection letter from the education ministry. As of now, they have been being enrolled only on a temporary basis.

In reply to a query, Hossain said: “There is no fixed number of seats for such students. The number of seats depends on how many students are applying.

Finally, the deans of individual faculties decide the number of students to be admitted.” Gilani Ansari, a third-year Nepalese student of applied physics and electronics engineering, the quality of education, improved accommodation facilities and a friendly atmosphere were the key reasons that he had chosen the varsity. Sources said that despite many seats and opportunities for foreign students, they cannot take admission in the RU because of administrative complexities like delay in getting clearance from the education ministry.

RU reserves a good number seats for foreign undergraduate students and researchers as well as for M.Phil and Ph.D. programmes.  There are 10 seats in the Science Faculty, five seats under the Business Studies Faculty, five seats under the Law Faculty, and five seats for researchers under the Institute of Bangladesh Studies (IBS).

Foreign students continue to shy away from RU

Foreign students have been shying away from Rajshahi University (RU) due to admission complexities and security concerns. Sources say the teaching medium, which is Bengali, the year-based academic system and a complicated admission procedures are the main reasons to keep foreign students away from RU. Seats reserved for international students lie vacant year after year, but the varsity has not taken any steps to attract them. So, many demestic students are being denied admission to RU. Only 17 students from two countries13 from Nepal and four from Somaliaapplied for admission here in the 2018-19 academic year. In total, 29 students had been enrolled for the academic session 2016-17, while the number of admission seekers were 34the highest in a single year in the RUs 63-year-old history. Among them, 11 were from Nepal, three from Somalia, one from Jordan and nine others from various countries. All of them applied for graduate-level courses. Earlier, seven foreign students had taken admission here for the 201516 academic session. All of them were Nepalese. RU acting registrar Prof. MA Bari said: Only 17 students have been enrolled. this year Among them, four students have joined the crop science and technology department. Six students have opted for veterinary and animal science, two for pharmacy, two for electrical and electronic engineering, and one each for the computer science and engineering, geography and mining, and information and communication engineering. AHM Aslam Hossain, deputy registrar of the campus, said the students would be enrolled here after getting a no-objection letter from the education ministry. As of now, they have been being enrolled only on a temporary basis. In reply to a query, Hossain said: There is no fixed number of seats for such students. The number of seats depends on how many students are applying. Finally, the deans of individual faculties decide the number of students to be admitted. Gilani Ansari, a third-year Nepalese student of applied physics and electronics engineering, the quality of education, improved accommodation facilities and a friendly atmosphere were the key reasons that he had chosen the varsity. Sources said that despite many seats and opportunities for foreign students, they cannot take admission in the RU because of administrative complexities like delay in getting clearance from the education ministry. RU reserves a good number seats for foreign undergraduate students and researchers as well as for M.Phil and Ph.D. programmes. There are 10 seats in the Science Faculty, five seats under the Business Studies Faculty, five seats under the Law Faculty, and five seats for researchers under the Institute of Bangladesh Studies (IBS).