Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jul 14: Mangalore University has a sizeable number of foreign students. For housing them, a separate international level hostel is being constructed within the university campus. This building is expected to be completed by September this year.

140 students from 29 countries including Afghanistan, China, Indonesia, Iran, South Africa and Nepal have been studying at Mangalore University. For the next academic year, 220 foreign students have filed applications seeking admission.

So far these students did not have a separate well-equipped hostel. Therefore, they are currently staying in rented buildings in Derlakatte. In order to address their problem, the hostel, equipped with international facilities, is being constructed within the university premises.

Work on this project had begun five years back, but the government approval for this multi-crore project was pending. The university was waiting for approval and had used its own money as construction had started by then. The ministry has now approved the project. The other blocks of the hostel have been planned to be used for the housing examination block and VVIP guest house. Some departments of the University are planned to be shifted to another block.

Examination complex: All the universities in the state have separate examination blocks but Mangalore University did not have such a block. It is currently functioning on the ground floor of the administrative block. As its location was creating problems for the students and the staff, a plan to create an examination block was thought of. Now, the block next to the international hostel is planned to be set aside for the examination block. Sources said that permission for the same will be obtained at the syndicate meeting scheduled on the 24th of this month.

Vice-chancellor of the university, Prof P S Yadapadithaya, said that the hostel building of international class for foreign students is in the final stages, and because of lockdown, works have been delayed. He said it will be inaugurated in September. The building has four blocks, and apart from the examination block, the VVIP guest house, and a few chairs of the university will also be shifted to this building.