VISAKHAPATNAM: While foreigners live across the city, the largest concentration of international students can be found at Andhra University.
Once a regional institution, the university has quietly grown into one of India's unexpected international hubs, now hosting 1,147 students from 58 countries.
Walk across the campus and you will hear conversations in Bangla, Arabic, Swahili, and French.
According to Paul Douglas, Dean of International Affairs at Andhra University, Bangladesh forms the largest group with 130 students, followed by Iraq with 94, Ethiopia with 70, Sudan with 68, and Tanzania with 51.
Other countries represented include Afghanistan (20 students), Angola (30), Botswana (23), Chad (18), Comoros (19), Côte d’Ivoire (10), Djibouti (15), Eswatini (41), Ghana (41), Kenya (27), Lesotho (29), Madagascar (38), Morocco (53), Myanmar (7), Namibia (14), Nepal (44), Nigeria (15), Palestine (17), Sierra Leone (38), South Africa (21), Syria (18), Uganda (22), Vietnam (19), and Yemen (31). Students from Japan, Congo, and Turkmenistan are also part of the international community.
Academically, the university’s international community is wide-ranging. There are 214 PhD scholars, with the College of Arts & Commerce enrolling 113. Postgraduate programmes welcome 235 students, including 83 in Arts & Commerce and 51 in Science & Technology. Undergraduate courses account for 697 students, with 395 in the College of Engineering.
In the midst of these achievements, Andhra University is celebrating its centenary, marking 100 years of history and academic excellence.
The celebrations highlight not only the university’s heritage but also its growing role as a global education hub.
Housing this growing community is another challenge.
A total of 685 international students stay in hostels, with 438 in boys’ hostels and 247 in girls’ hostels. Many others live in private accommodation across the city, showing the wider presence of foreigners in Vizag beyond the university.
For many, the experience is more than academic. Najmun Nafis Khan from Bangladesh, an alumnus, told TNIE that the campus atmosphere made a lasting impression.
He described the century-old traditions and support from local students and teachers as key reasons he felt at home. After his post-graduation, more than 20 students from Bangladesh chose Andhra University for higher studies on his recommendation.
The story is reported by Neelima Eaty for The New Indian Express