Aligarh Muslim University: Fee Hike, Post-Covid Fear Push Number of International Students at AMU to Record Low

The number of international students taking admissions at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has reached a record low. In 1997, AMU hosted 747 international students from around 37 countries. Till pre-covid levels the university used to enroll around 800 students, however, now only 228 foreign students are at AMU campus representing 21 countries.

AMU claims that the numbers have fallen drastically due to unconducive international conditions and panic and chaos created by the coronavirus pandemic. Notably, during the peak of coronavirus last year, the varsity had reported several deaths including the demise of 17 professors within 18 days.

AMU adviser of the International Students Cell, S Ali Nawaz Zaidi is in constant touch with those international students who wish to study at AMU. Zaidi is listening to their concerns.

Zaidi said that when he interacted with the students, they said that the fee at AMU is more compared to some private institutions. Zaidi said that AMU revised its fee structure last year and now it has been upwardly revised. So, this too is an issue with the students.

“We have increased our fees as we have to strengthen our financial conditions. We are also required to upgrade the quality of our education at our campus and that is why we are not paying much attention to increasing only the number of students at AMU. That is why we are talking to students,” he said.

“University is only now completely open after a gap of two years. Even though we were expecting that post-Covid-19, the number of international students will come down because the pandemic had a devastating effect on political and economic conditions all over the world,” said Zaidi.

Zaidi said that the number of foreign students has gone down in past years and presently admission for the academic year 2022-23 is undergoing at the campus and we are hopeful that the number of international students this year will increase.