City students, teachers welcome foreign varsities

NAGPUR: Names like Georgia Tech, Masachussets Institute of Technology or University of California Los Angeles were something that Indian students mostly dreamt of, and a few got to go to. However, now that the Union government has given a nod for foreign universities to open campuses in India, residents of the Orange City seem to be dreaming even bigger and bolder.
Students like Amrit Prasad feel this is definitely a welcome move. Prasad, who works in a software firm as well as studies, said, "What the Nagpur University teaches is ancient history. The syllabus of foreign universities will definitely have certain points from NU's syllabus, but only the relevant parts. Otherwise, they will teach the most practical aspects of technology, and produce fresh graduates who are readily employable in corporate houses."
He added, "This will also be a good opportunity for all those who have not been able to go to a foreign university to study due to financial constraints. After all, how many of us can afford the Rs 18 lakh deposit that is required to travel to USA after conquering GMAT? If the foreign universities keep the course fees within reasonable limits, they will definitely find a lot of takers."
Others, like Deepika Khemani, feel that one should not go for a course, but should inspect the college first. "The onus is on the student to investigate the credentials of an institution before joining the course. After all, just because it is a foreign university does not mean it has to be good. For my part, I would like a good institution teaching fashion and media studies to set up shop in Nagpur," Khemani said.
Pooja Shrivastava, a post graduate student in Pune who completed her graduation from Nagpur, opined that she too would first investigate the learning opportunity before jumping for it. "It would all depend on the cost and duration of the course as well as its content. However, if it is a good and renowned university, I would make up my mind faster, because sometimes a good stamp takes you ahead of others in competition," she said.
Even the teachers and educationists in the city are keeping their eyes peeled. Lalit Khullar, the director of Tirpude Institute of Management, said that the move was definitely welcome because it would fulfil many long-delayed dreams.
"A lot of kids, who had been kept from going abroad for reasons financial or otherwise, will get what they wanted," he opined.