The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : MAHE may open institutions in Mauritius and Sri Lanka

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 19, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

MAHE may open institutions in Mauritius and Sri Lanka

R. Chandrakanth

In Mauritius, the deemed university is looking at acquiring a hospital rather than constructing one

Bangalore: Leveraging its brand image, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), a deemed University, is working on opening medical educational institutions in Sri Lanka and Mauritius in the near future. It already has a campus in the Knowledge Village in Dubai.

Disclosing this to The Hindu, Pro-Chancellor of MAHE H.S. Ballal said the proposal for Sri Lanka was to have courses in basic sciences there and clinical training in Bangalore. MAHE had, in fact, worked on this proposal earlier, but the land deal did not materialise.

"We are now looking at alternative sites."

As for Mauritius, MAHE is looking at acquiring an existing hospital there than constructing one, as acquisition happens to be a viable route.

Talking about the branding of the university, Dr. Ballal said there had been considerable demand for quality education from Indians as well as overseas students, and MAHE continued to provide that both in Manipal and at other locations.

Admissions

However, Government regulations restricted admission to 25 and 33 per cent non-resident Indian (NRI) students in the case of medicine and other courses respectively in Manipal. The university has been knocking the doors of the authorities to increase the NRI quota up to 33 per cent for medicine, but in vain.

Dr. Ballal mentioned that the Manipal Group had been successfully running the Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Nepal. Affiliated to Kathmandu University, it was a 700-bed speciality teaching hospital.

In Malaysia, the group ran the Melaka Manipal Medical College, which offered MBBS degree, awarded by MAHE. Students study in Manipal and then continue clinical training of two years in Melaka. The one-year internship is done in Melaka.

The clinical training programme in Malaysia is conducted at the 800-bed Melaka General Hospital.

Dr. Ballal announced that its International Centre for Applied Sciences would be expanding on the twinning programmes from the present 12 universities. As per the tie-up with the 12 universities, students pursue the first two years study of a degree programme in Manipal and the last two years in the U.S. or Australia or U.K.

The degree was awarded by the foreign university. The centre has a tie-up with Andrews University; Illinois Institute of Technology; Michigan Technological University; Milwaukee School of Engineering; Russ College of Engineering, Ohio University; St. Cloud State University; and the University of Missouri, Kansas City (all in U.S.); City University, London; Lancaster University; Sheffield Hallam University; and University of Leicester (all United Kingdom) and Deakin University, Australia.

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