Medical college in Philippines for NRI and Indian students

Kochi, June 2 (UNI) A medical college meant exclusively for Indian and NRI students will start functioning in the Philippines city of Baguio, about 250 km from capital Manila, from September this year, its promoter Sudhir Gopi said today.

Addressing a press conference here, to announce the launch of the Saint Louis University International College of Medicine (SLUICM), Mr Sudhir Gopi, the Chairman and Managing Director of Sudhir Gopi Holdings Inc. said the college would take 200 students for the undergraduate medical course this year.

The college had been established in collaboration with the Saint Louis University, Baguio, a 96-year-old Catholic University of CICM Congregation.

To ensure a comfortable Indian ethos for the students, the college would be administered by the Congregation of Apostolic Carmel from Mangalore, one of the pioneers in women's education in India, Mr Gopi said.

The college would provide a medical education of international standards at an affordable tuition fee of Rs 15 lakh for the four-year programme. Philippines had an additional advantage over China and Russia for Indian students, as it was a predominantly English speaking country, he added.

The Saint Louis University was listed in the WHO World Directory of Medical Schools and Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates and its students were eligible to appear for the licensing exam of the Medical Council of India (MCI).

Mr Gopi said his group, which was a pioneer in running higher education institutions for NRIs and Indians since 1996, will invest 100 million Dirhams in the Philippines venture over the next five years.

He said among the institutions operated by his group were the British International University, Montserrat in British West Indies, USAIM International Centre and Royal College of Applied Science and Technology, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE M G University Centre in the Dubai Knowledge Village, The Birla Institute of Technology International Centre, Ras Al Khaimah, Universal Empire Institute of Medical Sciences, Dubai Knowledge Village, Rajagiri International School, Dubai and Universal Empire Institute of Technology in Kerala.

UNI