Oblivious to the tensions that recently marked India-China relations, Chinese medical universities have been splurging on advertisements in Kashmiri newspapers, promising “affordable” MBBS courses to students from the State.
Fatima Jan, a counsellor with the Srinagar-based Fayaz International Counselling Centre, told The Hindu that around 90 China-based and state-run medical universities were currently taking students from Kashmir for courses taught in English. “We have admitted four Valley-based students for a five-year MBBS course with Hebei Medical University. It’s a government-run university, and the course fee is only ₹11 lakh,” Ms. Jan said.
Hebei Medical University is in Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei Province in northern China.
This year, following an advertising blitz, half a dozen placement agencies in Srinagar have received over 200 queries on admission to MBBS courses in China. Similar queries at these centres were less than 20 last year.
Traditionally, Bangladesh has been the preferred destination for aspirants from the Valley.
“Chinese universities offer you training in the latest technology. It, therefore, becomes easier to move to the U.K. or the U.S. after the course. The admission process is on right now and we expect more students,” Ms. Jan said. Shazia Nazeer, an aspirant from Baramulla, said the MBBS courses in China and Central Asia were preferred because they cost half of what they would in countries like Bangladesh and Nepal, where the fee is ₹20 lakh-₹25 lakh. Besides, they are closer home than a college in the West.
Peer G.N. Suhail, who completed his master’s and Ph.D in International Studies from Tsinghua University, Beijing, said the Chinese government was offering over 15,000 scholarships to foreign students.
This year, counsellors are also offering MBBS seats in countries such as Kazakhstan, Georgia, and Kyrgyzstan.
