The number of admissions of foreign students in Osmania University this year has shot up, when compared with those of last year. With more than a month for the enrolment process to be complete, the varsity expects to see a much bigger number this year, thanks to its popularity soaring among the developing countries, said officials.
According to data from the University Foreign Relations Office (UFRO), OU, 1,085 postgraduate (PG) and 1,372 undergraduate (UG) Provisional Admission Letters (PAL) have been issued to foreign students so far, for the academic year 2014-15. In the last academic year, i.e. 2013-14, both the UG and PG enrolments totalled to 1,742, much lesser than the 2,457 (UG and PG together) so far.
Once a PAL is received, an applicant can attain a visa for India, after which he or she can come down and complete the admission process. Out of the 1,085 PG applications, 356 came through the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, and 729 were self-financed. Similarly, of the 1,372 UG applications, 549 were ICCR sponsored, while 823 were self-financed.
The popular UG and PG courses preferred by foreign students are Bachelor of Computer Sciences (BCA), B.Com, B.Sc., Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), MA English, M. Sc. (Information Science), MBA, and M.Com.
“Admission process is on from August 15-20. OU is the popular choice among foreign students, as it is one of the top ranked varsities in India, and is the only one in Telangana with University Potential for Excellence (UPE) status,” said C. Venugopal Rao, director, UFRO.
Varsity officials also observed that with the Telangana agitation coming to an end, fears with regard to postponement of exams, constant bandhs etc., among foreign students are dispelled.
