ECAN educational fair starts

KATHMANDU, Aug 13: Educational Consultancy Association of Nepal (ECAN) is organizing Nepal´s Largest education fair for abroad studies for the third time at Bhrikuti Mandap, Kathmandu from Thursday. The fair will continue till August 16. The main objective of the fair is to provide opportunities for students aspiring to study abroad. [break]

With 15 pavilions and 125 stalls of consultancies and colleges, ECAN expects 100,000 visitors during the fair. ECAN has assured that it would give proper guidance to the visitors with a variety of information on academics and abroad studies to prospective students and parents under one roof.

"As I talked to a few students and parents, I can say that the fair has been a big success," says Ewan Davies, Country Examinations Manager of the British Council. "Students were glad that they got an opportunity to get advices from a number of places and parents got a clearer idea on abroad studies and how it can help brighten their children´s horizons," Davies adds.

The response from the students was very good and many enthusiastic students were taking counseling from consultancies directors.

But, to Nihaar Shrestha, a student who completed plus two from Capital College and Research Center (CCRC), the advices from counselors were more confusing for her already confused mind. "I thought I´d study nursing but they suggested that I join medicine," says Shrestha.

The fair has stalls of consultancies and colleges that counseled students about examinations, required documents and even visas.

"We counsel students here about examinations like IELTS, TOEFL, GRE, SAT, GMAT and many more," says Salikram Bhandari, CEO of Next Consultancy, Putalisadak. "We give right information to students so that they do not choose wrong colleges and make wrong decisions and we believe that we as a group of consultancies can generate some awareness to students through this fair," he adds.

A few colleges from India were also counseling students and taking on the spot admissions. "We have already admitted five students to our college," says Suresh Gupta, administrator-director of IHM Meerut Institute, Daurala, India. "We took on the spot admission so that the students will not have to pay the consultancies."

"The fair has really benefited me and I have decided to try abroad with the help of a few consultancies," says Aapaar GC, a student from United Academy.