E-Kantipur

KATHMANDU, JUL 08 -

Planning to go to India for higher studies and searching the web for the best colleges there? Search engines will throw up hundreds of web links and provide information about various institutions, fee structures and scholarships. But they cannot provide advice on which university or course is the best.

Help is forthcoming. Career Fair 2011 is scheduled to be held in Kathmandu from July 8-9 at the Hotel Everest, New Baneshwor. The event would be the perfect place for aspiring students to directly interact with representatives of top universities and institutions from India.

Organised jointly by SAPE, a Kolkata-based event management company, and Kathmandu-based IEMES education consultancy, the fifth edition of the Career Fair will highlight higher education opportunities in India for Nepali students. According to the organisers, the fair will have 50 stalls of leading Indian educational institutions and universities and aims to give information about all the academic and professional courses available in India.

According to Sanjay Thapa, founder and managing director of SAPE, this fair will be different from previous editions. “First, some of India’s finest and most reputed universities and colleges are participating this time; and second, the venue has been changed so as to make it more convenient and comfortable for both exhibitors and visitors,” said Thapa. He added that seven reputed Indian universities and 43 colleges would be taking part in the fair.

According to Thapa, Nepali students willing to pursue higher education in India will have ample options regarding courses, places and institutions. “As the participating colleges are from various parts of India and offer diverse courses, students will have more options.”

According to Thapa, the participating institutions are from Karnataka, Chennai, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Orissa, Dehradoon and Sikkim, which are the most admired education destinations in India. “Top notch universities like Amity, IIPM and Sikkim Manipal, among others, are coming this time. Students will have an opportunity to interact with their representatives directly and gather detailed information about them,” said Thapa.

In addition, these institutions also offer scholarships. A total of 50 students willing to pursue engineering, nursing and pharmacy courses will get scholarships in 16 colleges and two universities. “Students should meet the criteria fixed by the institutions concerned to get the scholarships,” said Thapa.

At the fair, students can look for Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes in management, medicine, IT, biotechnology, hotel management, media studies, advertising and mass communication, nursing, environmental studies, architecture, banking and insurance, travel and tourism, animation, fashion, pharmacy and cosmetology, among others.

Nepali students have many reasons to choose India for perusing their higher education, said Thapa. Besides the socio-cultural and geographic resemblance between the two countries, students are also exposed to a variety of career opportunities there, he said. “That’s why India is the perfect higher education destitution for Nepali students,” he added.

According to Thapa, who has been conducting the fair for the last five years, most Nepali students go for programmes in management (especially MBA and hotel management), nursing and engineering. Courses like media science and biotechnology are also attracting students, added Thapa.

The organisers are expecting around 8,000 visitors during the fair. “With counties like the US, UK and Australia adopting tougher visa rules, India has emerged as a popular education destination for Nepali students,” said Thapa. “I am sure the fair will become a success. Last year, we were able to attract 7,000 visitors.”

Besides, visitors can also win fabulous door prizes and gift hampers. A mobile handset will be given away every hour through a lucky draw, and a lucky winner will receive a laptop each day. Entry to the fair is free and the opening hours are 10 am to 6 pm.

‘India is the perfect destination for Nepali students’

The fifth edition of the Career Fair 2011 is being held in Kathmandu from July 8-9 at Hotel Everest, New Baneshwor. Organised jointly by SAPE, a Kolkata-based event management company, and Kathmandu-based IEMES education consultancy, the fair will highlight higher education opportunities in India for Nepali studentsaims. Sanjay Thapa, founder and managing director of SAPE, talked to the Post about the fair. Excerpts:

Why is this fair being organised?

After the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia—the popular higher education destinations for Nepali students—adopted tougher visa rules, a huge number of Nepali students are getting attracted towards India for pursuing their higher education. However, they are facing difficulties in choosing the right colleges and right programmes. There’s a gap of some sort. Therefore, we want to bridge that gap and become a medium to connect Nepali students with Indian educational institutions. We are completely focusing on India.

Why should Nepali students go to India for higher education?

There are a number of reasons for Nepali students to choose India for their higher studies. The first one is hassle-free entry to India. Nepali students do not require undergoing any sort of visa formalities to enter India, study there or do a job. The second is socio-cultural similarities between the two countries. Students can easily adapt to the Indian environment and they do not feel homesick. And the third one: employment opportunities. Students are exposed to a variety of career opportunities there. They can find good jobs in multinational companies with handsome salaries. Moreover, Nepali citizens can even join Indian Army. Therefore, India is the perfect higher education destination for Nepali students.

What types of institutions are coming this time?

This time, we are bringing a wide range of colleges and universities—from the expensive reputed institutions to average colleges with lower tuition costs. We have aimed at facilitating students from every economic background—children of high net worth families to low- or middle-income families. Everyone will be able to find appropriate college. Over 20 institutions taking part in the fair figure on the list of top 100 educational institutions of India.

Do good Indian institutions take Nepali students, given a huge number of competent Indian students not being able to get admission in their desired institutions?

Having multicultural classrooms is a big advantage for any educational institution. Students learn about different traditions and gain acceptance towards others whose beliefs are different than theirs. It promotes teamwork, confidence, and respect, and these are all key qualities of a successful person. Therefore, good colleges always seek to make their classrooms more multicultural so as to produce good results.

How successful were the previous editions of the fair and what are your expectations this time?

Last year, we witnessed over 7,000 footfalls. An estimated 700 students enrolled in different institutions through the fair. With all these figures, we have to say the fair was successful, and so were the previous editions. This year, we are expecting over 8,000 visitors. As participating institutions this time are better compared to those in previous editions, I am confident that a healthy number of Nepali students are going to benefit from the fair and it will be a grand success.

Sanjay Thapa

Founder and Managing Director, SAPE

Posted on: 2011-07-08 09:04

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