SAMARKAND: Evacuated from war-hit Ukraine in 2021, hundreds of Indian MBBS students who thought their academic journey was over have resumed studies and started new lives in a leading medical university in Uzbekistan.
The Samarkand State Medical University in Uzbekistan has accommodated over 1,000 Indian medical students from Ukraine after the Indian embassy in Ukraine reached out to them.
Amit from Bihar's Begusarai spent one night in a basement in Ukraine when Russia attacked. He was among the students evacuated by the Indian government under 'Operation Ganga'.
"I thought I wouldn't make it and would either die or will be stranded in Ukraine. Once I was back home in India, me and my family were relieved but then began the never-ending cycle of uncertainty. I had finished three years of my MBBS in Ukraine and to start all over again or pursue something else was not an option. I later decided to move to Uzbekistan," he said.
He says living expenses in Samarkand are higher than that of Ukraine but he is happy to be able to continue his education.
Tanwi Wadhva from Punjab's Ferozepur, who was studying at Bukovinian State Medical University in Ukraine, was apprehensive about joining the university due to the loss of a semester.SSMU vice-chancellor Dr Zafar Aminov said the Indian embassy reached out to them when the war broke out, enquiring whether the students could seek a transfer. "We evaluated the requirements of such students and decided that enrolling them with a semester back would be a viable option to provide equivalence. We hired 30 more Indian teachers to ensure there are no accent issues," he said.
Aminov said the university has accommodated over 1,000 Indian transfer students from Ukraine.