Armenia: Indian Students Declining

Armenia Higher Education & Sciences comments on a meeting between the country’s new president and the Indian Ambassador. The specialist education blog wonders if the two discussed any real issues, especially as the number of Indians studying in Armenia has steadily declined since 2006 when one student died after falling from a window at a university dormitory.

For Indian students, Armenia has lost its attractiveness mainly due to:
1. Unfavorable evolution of exchange rates
2. Mistreatment of Indian students in Armenia

In fact, since the tragic events and the protest movement of spring 2006 at Mekhitar Heratsi Yerevan State Medical University (YSMU), the Indian Embassy in Armenia has explicitly discouraged Indian students from applying to Armenian institutions, in general, and to YSMU, in particular.

Moreover, Indians who have graduated and returned to their home country have justifiably generated an extremely negative publicity about Armenian higher education.

Anyway, I hope Ambassador Pandey had at least the opportunity to raise the issue of the remaining Indian students at YSMU who continue to endure intimidation and harassment by their university administrators.