If EMU must offer Iranian students a 20% discount in school fees, other nationalities should be offered same

If Iranian students studying at the Eastern Mediterranean University can be offered a 20% discount in tuition fees, students of other nationalities should be given same on whatever ground it is.

In one of our previous post, we reported that the Eastern Mediterranean University, EMU introduced a number of measures to ease the financial burden on Iranian and Turkish students due to the devaluation of the Turkish Lira against foreign currencies and the economic sanctions placed on the two countries by the US.

To this effect, the university, last week granted a 20% discount on school fees, 25% discount on meal and 10% on dormitory fees including fixing foreign exchange rate at 5TL to the US Dollar for the above students.

The management of the university contacted us to say the above information was wrong adding that the discounts and measures were for all students of the university irrespective of the nationality.

Having conducted our investigation, it was authoritatively revealed that, the discount of 20% on school fees was only for Iranian students of the university, so what happened to students of other nationalities who has being facing economic crisis and sanctions for years.

Nigeria, in the past three years has suffered from a number of economic crisis, inflation and civil war which it is yet to recover from and the country constitute the majority of foreign students in the university.

Zimbabwe has been hit with series of sanctions and economic crisis in recent years and despite hope that things may change soon as a result of changes in powers, the country is yet to recover from the crisis which many of it's students are still suffering from.

Syria has been in war for the best part of a decade and this comes with economic instability and financial crisis.

South Africa just slipped into recession while the likes of Libya, Sudan, and the others are not left out.

Talking about discounts for meal and dormitories which was actually made for all students of the university irrespective of their nationalities. But how many Nigerian students actually eat in school cafeterias, and how many students of other nationalities are lodged in the government owned and private dormitories? which makes it a one sided affair.

However the fact that this is a welcomed development, more should be done to carry everyone along.

If Iranians must be offered a discount in school fees, other nationalities should be offered same.

We urged the university authorities to look into this injustice and set a level playing ground for all students of the university.