THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Back in the Ugandan village of Larom in Padibe county, Patrick Onen represents the aspiration of first-generation of learners looking to make it big in life. His family of farmers cultivates millets and sesame on patches of land that lay scattered across Uganda’s ubiquitous countryside, and his elders are not educated enough to guide him in academics or a career after that.
However, Patrick has a passion for academics. A passion that ultimately brought him to Kerala, to pursue a master’s in chemistry from the University of Kerala. The strides he made here have now made him a role model for his seven younger siblings.
“It’s exactly this hope that I wanted to spread when I planned to pursue postgraduation, for which I received The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarship. After postgraduation, which gets over by October, I plan to return to my county. But yes, I do want to pursue PhD,” he says.
Patrick is among the 150 foreign students studying at Kerala University. They come from Bangladesh, South America, Indonesia, Africa, Iran, Yemen and Russia. In fact, among universities in the state, Kerala University has the maximum number of foreign students enrolled in its various courses. It has also seen a rise in the number of applications from foreign students since the 2021-22 academic year, when 1,100 candidates from 35 countries applied. This shot up to 1,400 in 2022-23, and to 1,600 in 2023-24. In the current academic year, that is 2024-25, the university has received a record 2,600 applications from foreign students looking to enrol in its various courses.
“That is a 63% increase from previous years,” says Prof Dr Sabu Joseph, director, Centre for Global Academics, University of Kerala. “We have approved 900 applications and the ICCR has already selected 30 of them for scholarships. The process is on,” he says.
Last year, 50 students entered the university with scholarships. This year, their number is expected to increase by 10%. “On an average, we have been getting 50 students annually. Most of them are ICCR funded whereas a few of them are self-financed. We encourage ICCR students more as they come in after government verification,” he adds.
Djeneba Diallio, from Male, came via the ICCR route to do her postgraduation in International Relations. She is also the president of the Kerala International Students Association (KISA), an umbrella organisation of students across Kerala.
“We face no major issues out here. However, finding accommodation is a problem. There are no hostel facilities for foreign students and they have to arrange their own stay outside. So, we rent out places, which we then share with other students who have come from abroad,” says Djeneba, adding that time constraints are also a challenge for the students. “I maintain a low profile. I laugh and smile and have friends, but I do not socialise too much as I am here on a scholarship,” she says.
For male students, the stay here has a wider appeal with friendships blooming out to many avenues. “We have excellent relations with our classmates and professors. They help us integrate with the crowd. They take us on chai and involve us in the celebrations on the campus,” says Dyson Billiat, from the East African nation of Malawi. He is pursuing his master’s in sociology.
However, Larry Effande from Cameron, a Mass Communication and Journalism student at the university, highlights one impediment — language. “Language is an issue, yes, but that is understandable. Everyone starts conversations in English with me but then when we are in a group, they switch to Malayalam. Understandably, it happens very naturally,” he says.
The language issue is more prominent while these students are travel. “If we have to travel by bus and I have to go from Thampanoor to Palayam, I have to speak to the conductor about the place. But people are friendly and that makes up for everything,” Larry says.
“People smile a lot, and we keep wondering if they are smiling at us in a friendly way or out of sarcasm,” he laughs.
According to Prof Sabu, Kerala University’s NIRF ranking and NAAC accreditation, as well as its acceptability among students from overseas who have completed their courses, have increased its appeal among foreign students.
Dyson agrees and says he got to know about the university from a friend. “We can find out about the proximity of Kerala to the seas and about the culture here from the internet also,” says Dyson. Weather is also a factor that helps the students choose Kerala. Like it did for Larry, who also chose Kerala for its literacy, religious tolerance and people-friendliness.
The variety of cuisine, where every culture finds a place, is another attractive factor for the students. “It is a bit spicy for me but I do like the food here. Most of us make our own food at home but we do go out for good biryani,” says Dyson.
However, for Nawar Alshameri from Yemen, who is pursuing an MBA from the university, Kerala is exactly similar to home when it comes to food. “We get a lot of Arabic food here — mandi, biriyani, et al. The food is quite similar and I enjoy the cuisine,” he says. He plans to return home with his degree to help his family with the business, and also take back the memories of the times he spent here.
Patrick nods along. “I have several fond memories here. Like how my classmates shared their joys with me, our trips out for chai and snacks, participating in the Onam festivities when I wore a ‘mundu’, and our several trips in and around Thiruvananthapuram,” he says. Larry, too, says the same, except that he kept away from the campus canteen. “It did not seem hygienic enough,” he grins.
“We do not have any issues here except probably the accommodation, which is costly,” says Djeneba. The students feel the scholarship allowance is not much and some rules stop the ICCR students from seeking part-time jobs to fund their stay. “All these may also change when more students come in,” Prof Sabu says.
According to him, the university Syndicate has taken note of the issue and has plans to set up a hostel for international students. “It is getting a bit delayed due to recent developments such as the introduction of the four-year degree course,” he says. Currently, there is an international youth hostel at Palayam that can house 25 students, but it is usually available only for the freshers who have to get acquainted with the place.
It was to look into such issues that the KISA was formed. The election for the organisation is done via a Google Form, and the current mandate of the union is to organise orientation programmes for the newcomers and a felicitation ceremony for graduates.
“Apart from this, there are other meets such as farewells where cultural programmes of the respective countries are presented at times,” says Johannes Molathwa, who hails from Botswana and is a student of psychology.
Their free time is mostly spent preparing for their courses or on travel and some socialising (Larry finds his church mates quite an affable lot), and also to rent out turfs where they can get together to share a game of football. They also find avenues where they can exhibit their talent. “We participated in the Carnival music festival organised on the campus. But twice a year, we do come together to showcase our cultural programmes,” says Johannes.
But we need to organising more programmes where the culture of the countries the students represent are shown or other talents of the students are promoted, says Anna Lilian, from Columbia, a PhD student in Education. “I guess in due course, such events would also come up.”
To Lilian, the culture of the land is as vivid as the one back home.
“However, I am respectful of the differences and thoroughly enjoy the traditional dresses and unique dances of Kerala. During some trips to schools where we go for fieldwork, I have been invited to perform the salsa, the dance from my country. Such activities help me keep rooted in my culture,” she says.
Lilian also loves to explore the state. She has already visited Munnar, Kanyakumari, many forests in the Western Ghats and so on with her international and local friends.
However, not everything is peachy, she says. “The only discrimination I face is the awkward treatment I get when some men think I am easy just because I speak politely. That doesn’t happen back home,” she explains.