Fordham’s Indian Association, which Pallavi Ghayalod founded, was officially launched at a reception on April 8, 2019 at the Gabelli School of Business on the Lincoln Center campus. Its goal is to create a strong network of support among current Fordham Indian students, Fordham alumni in India, and other members of the community in New York and across the United States.

“The Gabelli School wants to be a hub for global education,” said Donna Rapaccioli, dean of the Gabelli School of Business.

The Indian Association will work to celebrate the rich culture, history, and contributions of India and South Asia at Fordham. It will also help Fordham build stronger ties in India, spurring more interest and awareness of Fordham’s schools among students across the region.

“Fordham is seeking to create internationalists at the undergraduate and graduate level. We’re hoping that this initiative will bring the University closer to South Asia, and India in particular,” said Roger A. Milici, vice president for development and university relations.

Fordham undergraduates travel from 76 countries, and international students make up ten percent of the undergraduate student body. More than 100 students from India currently attend the University, and over 200 alumni hail from there. That network is key to recruiting prospective international students, who use social media and other online resources to decide whether they will attend an institution.

“When parents of international students find out that their child gets admitted to Fordham, they’re not thinking of the school. They are thinking of New York City, and things like, ‘Where is their kid going to live?’ Facebook is a great resource for parents to connect with other parents to figure out the answers to questions like this.” said Pallavi Ghayalod.

Prospective students often speak to other admitted students, current students, and alumni via social media in order to determine where to enroll. “If I didn’t get to talk to Fordham Indian alumni about their experience, I wouldn’t have felt comfortable attending Fordham,” said Kapil Bashani, GABELLI ‘18, who spoke with three Fordham alumni via social media before making his decision to enroll in the global finance program.

The Indian Association at Fordham seeks to unite people across those different cultures and to ease the transition for students studying at Fordham from overseas.

SOURCE: FORDHAM NEWS