Afghan students flock to India's universities

Bijoyeta Das:

Upon arriving in India, the first place Arif Ahmady visited was the Taj Mahal.

But it was hope for a better future that enticed Ahmady to leave his home in Kabul, Afghanistan last February. The second place he visted was Delhi University. Now he is busy scouting graduate schools to study computer science, checking out housing options, and connecting with other Afghan students in India.

"I want to study in a peaceful space, get an Indian degree because it has a great reputation in Afghanistan, go back and build a career," says the 23-year-old, wearing a black cotton tunic, baggy pants, and a traditional Afghan scarf wrapped around his neck.

Indian cities such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Bhubaneswar attract thousands of Afghan youth to study. About 5,500 Afghan students are currently in the country, says Shaida Mohammad Abdali, Afghanistan's ambassador to India, of whom about 300 are women.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at June 6, 2013 2:55 AM
Subscribe to this site via RSS/Atom: Newsletter signup | Send us your ideas