The Office for International Affairs at the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) Awantipora held an interactive session with the international students of the varsity on Friday. The session was organized to facilitate a cross-cultural dialogue between these students and the university fraternityand receive constructive feedback about their experiences on campus.
The session was presided over by Dean Academic Affairs, Prof Manzoor A Malik. On this occasion, the message of Prof. Shakil A Romshoo, Vice Chancellor IUST was also relayed wherein he congratulated the foreign students and appreciated the Officefor International Affairs for conceivingthis important session as it would pave the way towardsframing a robust foreign student policy for the university and will help to create a conducive and attractive environment for the foreign students and their overall wellbeing. Prof. Romshoo called on these students “to provide insights into specific issues faced by the foreign students so that a better mechanism and a system is evolved at the IUST to support international students in academics, housing, health, and other areas to enrich their learning experience and optimally meet their special requirements.”
The graduating student namely Moustapha expressed satisfaction over his academic journey at IUST and described his tenure at IUST as the best part of his life. While appreciating these students, Prof. Malik talked about the diverse cultural backgrounds these students come from and how their presence enriches our own culture. He called on faculty members to ‘make special arrangements for bridging the language and other barriers for providing these international students with the best academic experience combined with acquiring the right kind of skills.
As Registrar of the university, Prof. Naseer Iqbal appreciated the students for their efforts in coordinating with the Office of International Affairs and hoped that the university will welcome more foreign students in the coming years. Dean Outreach Prof. Lily Want also attended the session and called this event ‘a memorable event’.
The session was coordinated by Officer I/C International Affairs Dr. MonisaQadiri. Other senior university officials also attended the event.