Are the techniques followed by the Indian system of education outdated? Yes, if one were to go by the students from the Middle East studying here. Iranian students in the city share mixed views on education, cuisine, and cultural diversity.
The Iranian students said that it was a good opportunity to study in India in one of the highly graded universities such as Andhra University. However, they said that the syllabus here was outdated when compared to the curriculum in the universities back home.
First year MBA student Niaz said: “In Iran, getting into any of the reputed universities is a big task as we have to pass tough entrance tests. Though the standard of education over there is pretty high and expensive, it is comparatively up to date.” With most of the educational institutions in Iran following Persian as the medium, some of the students said that learning English mattered most. “In our hometown, Isfahan, English is only one of the subjects taught,” M. Shahed, a Ph.D student, said. Iranians find Indian culture interesting.
M. Setare, an industrial engineering student, said: “There is a close cultural link between Iran and India. The concept of arranged marriages in India intrigues me as it happens rarely in our country.”
The land of beaches and hills attracted these foreign students to India and many were bowled over by the women’s freedom.
“In our country, women do not have so much of freedom. Our liberty is constrained by stringent laws. However, we admire the rare combination of freedom and security in India,” a law student Zolfa said.
For Sameera Akbari, a final year student of fine arts, South Indian culture drew her to the city.
“Being a lover of arts, it is good to know different cultures across countries, particularly South Indian culture. It has a mix of old, traditional, and contemporary elements that fascinates me the most,” she added.
However, there is one common complaint — humidity and spicy food.
“Frequent power cuts add to the woes of humid weather. Also, food is quite spicy. After a long hunt, my anytime meal includes savouring delicious kebabs and paneer butter masala with rice or roti,” added Setare.
