Here's why Ukraine is one of the popular educational destinations for Indian students

New Delhi: Ukraine has steadily gained its place as a major educational hub in the Eastern Europe. The large presence of Indian students in the country has become a major topic of discussion with the Russian invasion. Experts in this field say the low fees and hassle-free admission process are the factors that attract Indian students to Ukrainian universities. The fee to complete MBBS in Ukrainian medical colleges is just half of what the private medical colleges in India charge. However, the future of thousands of medical students who have been pursuing MBBS course in Ukraine seems bleak following the ongoing war with Russia.

Indian presence
The External Affairs Ministry does not have the exact number of Indians who are in Ukraine. However, unofficial reports claim that there are more than 20,000 Indians there before the air evacuation commenced on Saturday. The authorities at the Ministry of Education say that around 18,095 among them are students. Meanwhile, in a letter written to Minister of Foreign Affairs S Jaishankar, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, said that around 2,320 Keralite students were in Ukraine when Russia invaded it last Thursday.

Ukraine has become a favoured educational destination for students from countries like India, Morocco, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Nigeria, China, Turkey, Egypt, Israel and Uzbekistan.

Popular courses
More than 80% students who go to Ukraine pursue medical, dental and nursing courses. The annual fee for the MBBS course is between Rs 2.62 lakh and Rs 3.75 lakh. The six-year long course could be completed at a total cost of Rs 15–20 lakh. In contrast, the annual fee in private medical colleges in India could go up to Rs 7–10 lakh. It would cost at least cost Rs 40–50 lakh by the time the student completes the course. This could even go up to Rs 70 lakh or more depending on the instution. Meanwhile, in countries like Mauritius, an Indian Ocean island nation, and the Netherlands, MBBS courses could be completed for Rs 50–55 lakh.

Why students go overseas
In 2021, more than 1.5 million students wrote the National Eligibility-and-Entrance Test (NEET) which is the qualifier for undergraduate medical courses. However, there are only 88,120 seats up for grabs in the country and out of this around 50,000 seats are at the 313 government-owned medical colleges. Many students who cannot find a seat in the government medical colleges fly to foreign countries to pursue MBBS courses.

International recognition
Medical courses could be completed for Rs 25 lakh in countries like Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. However, students mostly prefer Ukraine where European culture is predominant. Moreover, entry to Western Europe from here is easier too. So, those who aim for higher studies in European countries like Germany opt for courses in Ukraine.

There are 33 medical colleges in Ukraine. The MBBS courses that are offered at these universities are recognised everywhere in the world. However, the students who return to India need to clear the Foreign Medical Graduate Exam (FMGE) to practise medicine here.

Data reveals that more than 4,000 students who have completed MBBS courses in Ukraine take the FMGE exams every year. However, on an average only 700 candidates pass this exam. But, the low win percentage does not deter Indian students to join Ukrainian medical colleges.

Interestingly, students from major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru or even Kochi or Thiruvananthapuram do not prefer such medical degrees from foreign universities. Those who are studying in these countries are mostly from the Tier-2 and Tier-3 Indian cities and even rural areas.

Why some stay put despite danger
Many students are hesitant to return despite the dangerous situation in Ukraine. They are worried about their future. The exams in the third and the sixth years are important in the Ukrainian medical education system.

The students cannot continue studies without passing the exam in the third year. Besides, the students would have to pay hefty fines if they fail to attend classes without any valid reasons.

The institutes had initially informed the students that the tensions with Russia would reduce in a few days and that they could continue the classes. However, many medical colleges remain closed since the beginning of the Russian invasion. In the beginning, the institutes had informed that those who had passed the third-year exams should return by 2 April and the rest of the students should be back by 2 May. Several students say that all these factors have dissuaded them from booking a flight ticket back home a few weeks ago. Even though the universities have relaxed the dates of re-joining, many students have no idea whether they could return at all. Students who have availed hefty sums as loan to fund the education are anxious whether the Russian invasion of Ukraine would jeopardise their education.

The count of Indian medical students abroad
The number of India students who pursue MBBS in foreign countries as per a reply to a question in the Parliament of India in 2021 July.