BHU launches scholarship scheme for international students

Banaras Hindu University has launched a new scholarship programme designed to “promote and motivate international students.” Through this programme, the scheme hopes to attract international students. Foreign students will receive Rs 6000 per month under the programme, which will be renewed annually based on satisfactory performance.

If a student is already receiving a scholarship of a lower value, he or she will be entitled to the difference. The decision to launch the ‘Scholarship to International Students’  was made at a meeting of the Governing Body of the Institution of Eminence, BHU, under the chairmanship of vice-chancellor Sudhir K Jain.

According to VC Sudhir K Jain, the university has formed a three-member committee to oversee the scheme’s implementation and monitoring. All applications submitted under the scheme must be submitted to BHU’s Institution of Eminence Cell.

Every year, the university claims to attract hundreds of international students who are admitted to undergraduate, postgraduate, PhD, and diploma programmes in agricultural sciences, arts, social sciences, performing arts, visual arts, law, commerce, and sciences.

Foreign students account for up to 15% of total seat capacity. These seats are of supernumerary nature. Banaras Hindu University currently has 431 students from nearly 40 countries enrolled. Among them are 261 male and 170 female students from the United States, Brazil, France, Russia, Ireland, Australia, Yemen, Iran, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia.

“The scheme is expected to draw more international students to BHU. Besides, it is also in the spirit of National Education Policy 2020 which puts a greater focus on internationalisation of the Indian Education System, by way of having more students from abroad on Indian campuses,” according to an official statement released by BHU.