February 27, 2002
‘8’
INDIA PREFERRED DESTINATION FOR AFGHAN STUDENTS
INDIA OFFERS ALL HELP
India is the best country to rely upon for creating an education base in Afghanistan. They were looking for all round help from India, but their most pressing needs are for qualified teachers and in the field of engineering, especially in Computer Science. This was stated by Dr. Sharif Faez, Minister for Higher Education, Interim Administration of Afghanistan in a meeting with Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, Union Minister for Human Resource Development. He pointed out that India was a preferred destination for Afghan students; in fact, the Chairman of the Interim Administration of Afghanistan, Mr. Hamid Karzai was also the product of an Indian University. He added that their country was also interested in employing Indian Professors.
Dr. Joshi stated that India was ready to offer all possible help in the education sector – in normal education as well as in technical and vocational education to Afghanistan. Considering that Afghanistan needs help across all sectors in education, officers and experts of both countries will hold a Conference to prepare a framework to prioritise and energise the assistance from India to Afghanistan. Top priority will be given to basic education as only a sound base can ensure proper educational growth in a country.
Dr. Joshi suggested that it would be quite advantageous for Afghan students to study in India especially in higher education. Education costs work out to be much less expensive in India, as low as one-tenth of that in the West. Besides, the cultural affinity between the two countries would make transfer of knowledge to Afghan students much easier. Probably, that is the reason that students from so many African and South-East Asian countries are preferring to study in India, he added.
Dr. Faez also invited Dr. Joshi to visit Afghanistan.