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Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Osmania University gets more foreign faces

Hyderabad, June 24: More than 1,000 students from 57 countries have taken admission in Osmania University this year. Last year it was 812 students from 47 countries. Most of these students are from West Asian and African countries. Students say cultural proximity of the city to that of their own draws them here.
Besides, heavily subsidised higher education and comparatively low cost of living is making the city the most sought-after destination for their higher studies. This year, more than 100 Afghan students took admission in the university.
OU offers special preparatory courses for eight months to foreign students to improve their communication skills before they enroll for graduation. "Graduating from OU is at least 30 per cent cheaper than any other Indian university. Besides, Hyderabad’s pluralistic character impresses the foreigners which is why they flock here," says Mr T.L.N. Swamy, the director OU foreign relations department.
Courses like B.Com and BCA are very popular among these foreign students. The University also offers guest house facilities to foreign students for the first two weeks. Students of Indian origin also throng to the university. They say the climate of Hyderabad is very conducive for their stay.
"We checked out other Indian cities and found the the cost of living is cheaper in Hyderabad. Besides, people of the city speak many languages and are cooperative. The university is also offering English proficiency course. So we chose OU," says Nazeebullah Samimi, an Afghan student . The number of Chinese students enrolling for the English language proficiency courses in OU is also increasing. This year more than 25 Chinese took admission.

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