Rabat – Moroccan students represent the second largest community of students in war-torn Ukraine that is facing a Russian military offensive.
Ukraine is home to a large community of international students from several countries, with 8,233 Moroccan students studying in the country, according to Erudera, an educational AI search platform.
In its latest report, Erudera highlighted that students from 158 different countries chose Ukraine to pursue their higher education, with 80,470 international students enrolled in Ukrainian higher education institutions in 2019.
The number of Moroccan students in the Eastern European country reached 8,233 students in that year, making it the second largest student community. India comes first with over 18,400 students.
The most well-liked programs among Moroccan college students in Ukraine are dentistry, pharmacy, medicine, and civil engineering.
There are also 5,470 students from Azerbaijan, 5,344 students from Turkmenistan, and 4,379 students from Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the number of students from Turkey, China, Egypt, Israel, and Uzbekistan who are enrolled in Ukrainian universities exceeds 2,000 for each country.
Official statistics show that there were 2,338 Moroccans in Russian universities as of 2019, the report highlighted, emphasizing that the North African country welcomed over 24,000 international students during the same year.
With tuition fees in Ukraine being fairly affordable for international students, every student spends an average of $6,000 to $8,000 on education yearly, according to Ukrainian State Center for International Education calculations.
Erudera’s report highlighted that international students in Ukraine are an important source of income for the country.
In 2019, expenses of international students in Ukraine, including tuition costs, accomodation, and food, amounted to over $570 million, based on the Center’s calculations.
“If the average duration of study is 5-6 years, Ukraine’s income from foreign students for this period is more than $3 billion,” it added.
The most popular universities among international students are Kharkiv National Medical University, V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, and Odessa National Medical University.
However, amid the Russian’s offensive and the escalating conflicts in the region, many countries have urged their citizens to leave Ukraine.
To date, around 7,000 Moroccans have fled Ukraine. The kingdom called on citizens to travel to neighboring countries of Ukraine, reiterating its commitment to repatriate those who are stranded.
Read Also: Most Moroccans Have Left Ukraine
