For Indian students who are back, the big question: What next?

On March 4, because the sound of shooting boomed outside, National University of VN Karazin Kharkiv in East Ukraine reminded international students about “scammers” who promised transfers to other institutions in Poland, Hungary or Romania.

A few days earlier, the authority of Danyl Halytsky Lviv National Medical University in West Ukraine told his international students that those who seek transfers to other institutions abroad will be given a soft copy of the main documents, such as Marksheets and research paper.

They have managed to escape from the war and return to India. But endlessly seen in conflict and there is no indication of the results, Indian students pursue a medical degree in Ukraine arrested between despair and hope. Big question: what’s next?

“University management tells us that we have to be patient. Until now, colleges are closed until March 13. Before that, for about a month, the class was held online because of Covid. Now, we don’t know what’s in the future in the store, “Aruj said Raj V N, a second year MBBS student at the University in Kharkiv.

Raj is among several students who receive this message from the University: “Don’t fall victim to scammers about transfers to other universities in Poland, Hungary or Romania … all you have to do is wait, what will be recognized by the University. Please be careful – Hati and not in a hurry, we prayed the war ended soon. “University infrastructure has been damaged by the shooting.

Abhishek Singh, a Fourth MBBS student at the University in Lviv, said the authorities had notified international students they could choose the transfer. “If we share the documents we have with them, we will be given a soft copy of the marker sheet and research project, which will be needed while submitting a transfer,” he said.

Richa Jha, a third year student in Lviv, said the university has promised to send a photocopy of the document via email. “The University is on vacation until this week. Maybe next week we will be told whether they plan to continue the class or not,” he said.

Ukraine is part of the European credit transfer system but moving to institutions abroad is not easy. There are monetary and regulation obstacles, said students.

“The annual fee in medical colleges in Ukraine is around USD 4,900 (around Rs 3.76 lakh). In other European countries, it can reach USD 10,000 (around Rs 7.7 lakh),” said Abhishek Singh from Lviv.

This is a difficult call for parents and students who choose Ukraine because of the relatively low costs involved.

Yash Rana, 20, joined the Uzhhorod National Medical University in West Ukraine in December last year after failing to secure government seats in India. In 2021, more than 16 Lakh students were applied through Neet-UG for 83,000 seats available throughout the country, half of whom were in government universities.

Yash Father Raj Kumar Rana said he would pay around RS 35 Lakh for a six-year MBBS course in Ukraine, while seats in private colleges in India would cost “anywhere between Rs 50 Lakh to RS 1.5 Crore for four years and a half years” .

Rashmi Singh, a fourth medical student in Uzhhorod, has received a message from “several universities in Hungary” which can be transferred “with the same cost structure”. “But I prefer he continued his studies at the same university, if possible,” his father said Dr. R K Singh, based in Faridabad.