Friendly diplomatic relation prompt Afghan boy to choose India as his study destination

Following the footsteps of his elder brother, Afghan boy Hassan Hakimi picks DU to study Political Science
The friendly diplomatic relations between India and Afghanistan, cultural similarity and proximity from home prompted Hassan Hakimi, 20, a native of Qalat city in Afghanistan’s Zabul province to study in India. Hakimi is currently pursuing BA in Political Science (Honours) programme at the University of Delhi (DU).
He had to go through an examination to secure admission in the programme of his choice in an Indian university. He was among the 11 students from Afghanistan who cleared the English eligibility test to study in India in 2018 and bagged a monthly scholarship of Rs 18000 offered by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
Pained by conflicts in Afghanistan, Hakimi opted to graduate in Political Science. “This will help me understand the political theories spread across the globe,” says Hakimi, who worked as a journalist with an Afghanistan based broadcasting organisation for a period of two years before heading to India.
“As compared to Afghanistan where the educational institutes are still struggling to get the basics in place, the quality of education in India is exceptional. Faculty and fellow students in the college campus are very supportive,” says Hakimi, who is now well-versed with the Hindi language as well. In the second year of BA at Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma (ARSD) College in south campus, Hakimi lives in a rented house in New Delhi. Initially, he was looked upon as an outsider as he was mostly dressed in his traditional Afghani outfit. He soon slipped into the conventional jeans and shirt to look like one of the local boys.
Hakimi plans to stay for a couple of more years to learn from the skilled teachers in the Indian universities, which will soon be a global education hub in the next 5-10 years.
Most families in Afghanistan aspire to send their children to study in India. Hakimi is the second from his family to study in India. His elder brother Haroon Hakimi came to India in 2012 and completed his graduation and PG from Panjab University, Chandigarh.