Ukraine might be a country at war, but that’s not stopping students from India coming here in their thousands to boost their future prospects with a university degree.
According to Ukrainian government data, 10,884 Indian students currently study in Ukraine. Most of them opt to study medicine, says Mohan Pandey, an associate with the Ukraine Medical Education Centre, which helps foreign students apply to study medicine in Ukraine.
Currently Ukraine is the third most popular destination for Indians who want to study medicine abroad after China and Russia.
Although India has a number of top-notch medical colleges and universities, not all students can study there: the state ones have limited number of places and fierce competition for admission, while private ones are expensive.
Most Indian students attend the state medical universities in Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia. The Donetsk National Medical University, which had to move to the port city of Mariupol in 2015 after Russia unleashed its war in the Donbas, has also retained its popularity with Indian students.
High quality, low prices
Ashita Bhardwaj, 20, is finishing her first year at Donetsk National Medical University, and is happy with her choice.
“I chose this country because it provides students with good practical training in medicine and a high-security level for the students,” she said. “They teach students in English, the level of tuition is high. They have strict rules for those who don’t take it seriously. Everything is good here. I feel safe here. The crime level is very low. People here are good.”
According to Pandey, tuition fees in Ukraine for foreign students are about $4,000-4,500 per year, while the price of studying at a private college in India could be as high as $50,000 per year. Studying medicine in an Indian state university would cost significantly less – some $200-500 per year – but the competition to get a place in one is very stiff.
In India, a nation of 1.4-billion people, being a doctor is among the most desirable jobs, so up to 1.2 million students apply every year to study medicine. However, state medical colleges across the country offer only 56,000 seats.
Students then start looking for the education abroad, and Ukraine is among the top choices.
Ainkareswar Pillai, 22, is a third-year Indian medical student at Uzhhorod National University.
“There are a couple of reasons that made me choose Ukraine,” says Pillai. “First of all, affordable fees, and I was not required to pass any language exam. Moreover, you have proximity to Europe, since I live in Uzhhorod, a city in the west side of the country, and a bustling Indian student population.”
Unlike in Western countries, Ukrainian universities accept foreign students without standardized tests like IELTS or SAT. However, at the same time the level of education is high, says Shobhit Jayaswal, 24, the owner of the Delhi-based Global Medical Foundation, which helps Indian students to pursue a medical education abroad.
According to Jayaswal, the universities of Ukraine are globally recognized by major Indian and international organizations such as the Medical Council of India and World Health Organisation.
According to Ukraine’s government, there are 66,310 international students from 147 countries studying in Ukraine, with the biggest single group of foreign students coming from India.
And while Indian students come to Ukraine for practical reasons, they often end up loving the culture and people as well.
Bhardwaj says she loves “how people here take friendship so seriously.”
“I made a very kind hearted and loving friend, Christina. I’m very surprised by her love and gesture,” Bhardwaj says.
“She made woollen socks by herself just for me, and that’s a very big thing for me.”
