African students seek education in India

Dulce Vania from Mozambique is studying for a management degree in India and is also a budding entrepreneur - she exports human hair to her homeland.

"I have stated a small-scale human hair export business. Back home, it is used for making various accessories," Vania told IANS.

Studying for a management course in finance from the Punjab College of Technical Education(PCTE) at Baddowal, close to the industrial hub of Ludhiana, Vania says that African students studying in India are trying to pick up entrepreneurial skills.

"Things back in our country have started to get better, but it still needs a lot of improvement. Some students here have started to work on small-scale," she said.

Ugandan Ilahi Marian is a pharmacy student at the PCTE. She hopes to open a well-equipped drug store back home to help enhance the health facilities there.

"There are only 10 multi-specialty hospitals in the whole of Uganda as far as I know. There is an urgent need to enhance the health sector as for every 1,000 people, there is just one doctor," Marian told IANS.

African students find it cheaper to study in India - and that too in a system that is better than in their own countries.

"In India, people make things simple for us to understand. In our country, we are taught in a very complicated manner. Also, Indian teachers are very affectionate and devote a lot of time to us," said Adam Semlambo of Tanzania, studying for a masters in computer applications course.

His countryman, Ummi Marealle, a student of management in international business at PCTE, concurs.

"The quality of education in India is much better than in other places. Staying in Ludhiana, thanks to industries like Vardhman, Oswal, Hero group and others, we get a lot of industrial exposure," Marealle added.

According to J.S. Juneja, a former president of the All India Management Association (AIMA), India is a role model for African students.

"Nearly 15,000 students from Africa are studying in India. India and African countries have a similar history. India has a well developed educational system. We also have a well-developed small-scale industries sector. Africa needs both and thus, Africans look at our country as their role model," Juneja said.

Victoria-India partnership boosts teacher training

Maharashtra's Minister for Higher and Technical Education, Rajesh Tope and Victoria's Minister for Innovation, Services and Small Business, Louise Asher discussed new opportunities in Vocational Educational and Training (VET) for teachers in Mumbai recently. 

Asher emphasised on education as a key sector for future mutual prosperity and increasing business and cultural ties between India and Victoria. She said, "Victoria already has a strong education partnership with Maharashtra, India's third largest state and home to Mumbai, one of the nation's most significant business hubs." 

The Victorian government provided $440,000 to Kangan Institute of TAFE to deliver vocational teacher training programmes in Maharashtra and Karnataka. In Maharashtra, 300 vocational teachers are taking part, working on modern methods of training and assessment to help prepare their students to be work ready. 

Following the meeting with Tope and other education leaders, Asher took part in a presentation of certificates to teachers who completed the current vocational teacher training programme. The event was held during Victoria's largest-ever trade mission to India, with more than 200 Victorian companies travelling on the mission to boost its two-way trade and investment relationship with India.