Nearly a decade after its last foreign student, the 105-year-old Gujarat Vidyapith, founded by Mahatma Gandhi, has welcomed international students back into its regular programs. This year, two Bangladeshi nationals have enrolled in postgraduate courses. “The last foreign student to receive a degree here was Kaori Kurihara from Japan in 2016. She studied Gandhi’s original writings and developed an interest in Gandhian philosophy after reading ‘Hind Swarajya.’ After completing her Master’s and MPhil, she pursued a PhD on the ‘Satyagraha Ashram’ from 2012 to 2016,” said Prof. Prem Anand Mishra, Dean of the Faculty of Gandhian Studies.
Kurihara remains notable as the last international student in the university’s regular program. The most popular offering among foreign students has been the ‘International Course on Gandhian Nonviolence: Theory and Application,’ a four-month program created in 2011 that is free for international participants. This course has resumed this year after a one-year hiatus. For Apu Chandra Das, who is pursuing a postgraduate degree in Yoga, and Moupriya Gopal Mallick, who is in the postgraduate Commerce program, adapting to this new environment is part of their experience. Das, who completed his BBA in Finance from Gujarat University this year, stated, “I have an interest in Yoga and wanted to pursue it. The culture at Vidyapith is different from my past at Gujarat University. Living on campus has been enjoyable and offers new experiences.”
Prof. Mishra highlighted that prior to Kurihara, from 2011 to 2014, three Mexican students — two females and one male — also enrolled in the Master’s program in Gandhian Philosophy and Method. Gujarat Vidyapith Vice-Chancellor Harshad Patel expressed optimism about the return of foreign students, stating, “It is encouraging to see international enrollments after a long time. We hope this will pave the way for more enrollments in the coming year.”
Among three female students in the MCom program, Mallick is the only foreign candidate. She shared her reasons for choosing Gujarat Vidyapith, explaining, “It offers a significantly lower financial burden compared to other universities for similar courses. A friend recommended it to me, praising the institution highly.” Reflecting on her experience so far, Mallick noted, “The culture and environment are friendly. I appreciate the structured rules that all students must follow.” Although the overall number of international students in regular UG and PG programs remains low, around 99 students from over 20 countries have participated in the ‘International Course on Gandhian Nonviolence: Theory and Application’ from 2011 to 2023.
Original Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/foreign-students-back-to-gujarat-vidyapith-for-regular-programmes-10316954/
Category: Ahmedabad,Cities
Tags:
Publish Date: 2025-10-20 04:02:00
