RAK // Sehrish Altas is one of the first students to sign up to Abasyn and has already begun her degree in Information Technology.
The 19-year-old, who has lived in Ajman for 10 years, heard about the institution opening in Ras Al Khaimah through an outreach visit at her school.
“It was important to me to have a Pakistani university,” she said. “Otherwise, I was going to go back to Pakistan. I’m really happy I can stay here now where I can stay with my family. I like to be here, around other Pakistanis. It means we have very good communication and understanding.”
Abu Bakar, 32, is one of three Nigerians in the first eight students to have registered. He has been employed as a technician in Dubai and will study for his degree in business administration (BBA) while continuing to work part time.
“I came here to earn money and advance my education,” he said. “In my country, it would take me more than six years to graduate because of things like strikes and religious crises, so that’s why I couldn’t do it there. This is a good opportunity for me. The university is cheap and allows me to pay in instalments, which makes it more accessible.”
Fatima Sennroni, 24, is studying for her diploma in commerce. She came to the UAE to study and lives with her sister in Sharjah.
“It’s a really nice environment here. I love the nature in RAK,” she said. The two-year course would take more than double that amount of time to complete in Nigeria due to the troubles institutions face there. The fees in RAK are also cheaper.
“It’s an interesting cultural experience for me being among Pakistanis, but it feels very normal. Being here, I think I will learn about lots of different cultures.”
Lewan Sani, 27, arrived in the UAE one month ago. He has friends who study here already and lives with them in Sharjah.
“Being in a Muslim country was also one of the factors why I chose to come here. I like the university and I like the UAE so far.”
He already has a diploma from Nigeria but wants to study his BBA. “I wanted to get the exposure of coming to the UAE. It’s a different environment and I think that’s good for my career.”
mswan@thenational.ae
