International Students are Committing Suicide Because of Mistreatment in Ukrainian Universities

Recently, a lot of students mistreatment stories are being heard from Ukraine Universities. In the recent news, a Nigerian medical student Badmus Ololade Rafiate aged 24, was found dead due to body poisoning. Rafiate was in her last years at Ternopil State Medical University. As per the police investigation, all the pieces of evidence leads to the fact that it was a suicide done by the student herself.

According to the information revealed to date, Rafiate failed paediatrics exam just one day before her death. Sources reveal that she did well in her exams. However, university officials didn’t give passing grades as she failed a mock test earlier. That test is essential for the final bachelor of medicine and surgery exam. And as per the rules, if any final year student fails the mock test, it would lead to expulsion.

It was rumoured that Rafiate was trying to take the exams from another university. However, Ternopil State Medical University denied the transfer proceedings and reportedly asked the student to go back to Nigeria to apply for another student visa. And she was then starting her six years medical degree once again.

The death of Rafiate has raised many concerns regarding the mistreatment of international students in Ukrainian universities. The friends of Rafiate said that she was in distress because of the fear of getting expelled from the university.

Ternopil State Medical University Under Allegations

Due to the death of Rafiate, the Ternopil State Medical University is under serial allegations that they do not provide enough education and moral support to their students and just take money. However, University has denied any mistreatment.

Also Read: Cost of Studying Medicine in Ukraine

As per the words of press service, Rafiate was amongst six other students who failed the exam that day. Also, they added that it was their third and last attempt to pass the exams. As per the words of the police, Rafiate’s parents still believe that it was not suicide.

But police officials have no substantial grounds to consider the death of Rafiate as a murder. However, police officials are still looking for different angels to bring out the real story and solve the case without missing out on any essential facts.

Also Read: How Students Should Avoid Stress Abroad?

Criticism Around the Wall 

Ternopil State Medical University is facing a huge burden as they did not handle the situation with proper care both before and after death. Not only this, Dr Peter Akwasi Sarpong, leader of the National Board of the European Medical Students Association, or EMSA, noted that international students being poorly treated in Ukraine Universities had been a usual shenanigan.

In recent times, Ukraine Universities have been attracting foreign students as their fee structure is comparatively lower than other nations, especially in the field of Medical science. 

However, taking the death of Rafiate as an example, all the friends and classmates of Rafiate have noted that the situation was completely mishandled by the dean of international student Professor Petro Selskyy. He is to be entirely blamed for the incident.

Due to the death of Rafiate, students organized a protest on 20 January 2020 against the mistreatment of foreign students and asked explicitly for Selskyy’s resignation. As per the result of the protest, Selskyy’s was suspended from the position of Dean of international students.

Not only this, the university is now planning to hire a professional psychologist for students as marked by the student union. As per the words of Sarpong, EMSA is trying to enforce certain regulations. He is trying to ensure that international students in Ukraine universities get humane treatment.

Also Read: How to Manage Stress at the Engineering School?

Is this a Chain Problem?

The death of Rafiate is not a special case. There have been similar cases in the past as well. Roughly, two years ago, a student studying dentistry at Bogomolets National Medical University in Kyiv went missing from the university campus. On checking the CCTV footage, the student was last seen near Paton bridge, and her body was never found.

All these incidents reveal that the problem is not limited to Selskyy’s. A number of people think that the root cause of student death lies in the mistreatment in Ukraine universities. In both cases, the universities have failed to justify the deaths. In earlier cases as well, the dean was suspended from his position, but no clear justice was given to the death of the student. 

As per the words of EMSA association leader, Sarpong, if Ukraine wants to develop and match the level of all the existing European Countries, they need to create a peaceful environment in which international students can learn and grow. Not only this, all the universities must not discriminate international students because of any reason and provide them with the best education and atmosphere so that they can build an optimistic future.