African students in the national capital region continue to grapple with racial attacks but that hasn’t stopped them from applying to colleges. Delhi University has already received around 300 applications from African nationals even though the admission process has not begun yet.
Cashing in on this response, the Varsity has decided to launch a special drive to make the academic experience holistic and better suited to cater to foreign students’ needs.
“The University is overwhelmed with the response received from the African countries. We envision to increase the number manifold by providing attention to their special needs,” DU Registrar Tarun Das said in a statement.
“The University is in consultation with some of the eminent ambassadors of various African countries and has received a very enthusiastic response from them,” he said.
The Foreign Students’ Registry (FSR) had received 428 total applications last year.
Recently, a number of attacks on African students took place in Greater Noida, where they were brutally beaten up by locals following the death of a Class XII student. Locals had blamed the Africans of plying the youth with drugs.
The Varsity has been taking several initiatives for African students. Last year, it also announced to introduce a Hindi language course for them. However, the project is still in the pipeline.
Delhi University offers several programmes at various levels for foreign students. It does not prescribe any entrance exam for them. “We understand the needs and aspirations of such students and we are committed to providing them an environment which is conducive to their growth,” the registrar said.
“This outreach programme by the Varsity is the first of its kind in the country. Our mission is to reach out to international students, including those from Africa. This will strengthen the cultural, social, and political ties between the countries,” Das said.
