Practical Information

The City of Hyderabad

Hyderabad is the capital of the southern Indian state of Telangana and de jure capital of Andra Pradesh and it is the fifth largest city of India. Today it is an intermingling of three smaller cities – the old city of Hyderabad with its strong Islamic cultural heritage, the more cosmopolitan Secunderabad, and the most recent addition of a Hi-tech city which has become the hub of India’s IT exports and BPO revolution. The city is situated 536 meters above the sea level on the Southern bank of the river Musi, and is characterized by a tropical wet and dry climate. Known for its laid back charm and rich cuisines, the city has a lot to offer in terms of entertainment, including culture and history, nature and wildlife, and shopping.

More information about Hyderabad

About University of Hyderabad

The University of Hyderabad (UoH), one of the major institutions of higher education in India, is widely known for its excellence in research and for its distinguished faculty. Founded in 1974 with Prof. Gurbaksh Singh as its first Vice Chancellor, the university (also known as Hyderabad Central University or HCU) has emerged as a leading center of higher education and research. With 46 different Departments and Centers organized in 10 Schools of study, the university has over 400 faculty members and 5000 students. The university offers close to 150 different programs of study and also hosts an ever increasing number of foreign scholars in the highly popular Study in India Program. The University has built up a reputation for providing high quality academic training and has been recognized through a number of awards.

The Study in India Program (SIP) at University of Hyderabad began in 1998 and has expanded considerably in recent years. SIP is an interdisciplinary initiative, emphasizing heritage, continuity and change in India. The unique aspect of SIP is the primary attention given to the study interests of the students in order to facilitate a good match between the students’ preferences and the courses they attend.

Map of University of Hyderabad

UoH Campus

The large campus of the University of Hyderabad is located near Gachibowli, which is the IT hub ofHyderabad, has immense bio-diversity and is home to over 75 varieties of birds, not to speak of the lakes and rock formations which give the campus a natural beauty. The Indira Gandhi Memorial Library is the only library on campus and it is surrounded by a reading room that is open all days a week for students. The university has a Health Centre managed by a team of doctors, supported by nurses and other paramedical staff, and caters to the basic needs of the campus community. In case of need, students are taken to larger corporate hospitals. The University campus also has a multipurpose playground for cricket, football, volleyball, badminton, tennis, and basket­ball. Modern facilities for physical training and sports are also available on campus.

On campus there is a small bank, a post office, and an ATM, as well as several stores which cater to the needs of the students. Considering that the campus is quite large, students have the options of renting bicycles or taking advantage of the university buses that run regularly and connect different areas within the campus. When visiting the center city of Hyderabad there is a city bus service and autorickshaws easily available at the main entrance of the university. Students can also book taxi from campus and avail metered taxi services.

Accommodation

Students from the Nordic member universities of NCI live at the Tagore International Hostel. A choice of a single room or a room on twin sharing basis is available to students.

Each room has a bed, mattress, pillow, table, chair, cupboard, mosquito net, bedspread, and blanket. Bathrooms with hot waters (heated by solar panels) are shared by students in one corridor. Washing machines are available in the hostel and if students want to get their clothes ironed they can avail the services of a local washerman (dhobi in Hindi). The rooms and the bathrooms are cleaned regularly. Students also have access to a large common room, a TV room, and a recreation room in the hostel. All rooms come with Wi-Fi access and the students are advised to bring their laptops. There is also an in-house hostel manager, available every day, to meet the daily needs of the students. Security is assured as the hostel is well guarded.

Food

Students are provided breakfast, lunch and dinner at the dining hall in the Tagore International Hostel.

A typical menu usually looks like this:

Breakfast: Cereals (corn flakes/muesli/chocos), eggs to order, bananas, toast with butter and jam/marmalade, fresh fruit juice, pancake/french toast/oats porridge/idli/vada/etc., tea and coffee.
Lunch: Salad, seasonal cut fruit, hand-made bread, special rice, two kinds of vegetarian curries, boiled vegetables/macaroni/pasta, starter and snack, lentils of the day, curd, pickle and dessert.
Dinner: Designed as the lunch and with a non-vegetarian dish added.

Primarily based on Indian cuisine, most meals are prepared with locally sourced vegetables and fruits, and are therefore nutritious. Furthermore, the meals are specially cooked according to the needs of foreign students and special care is taken of students with food allergies. Mineral water is provided at the hostel and students are requested to take advantage of the same. There are also several canteens, tea stalls and small food stores on campus. Restaurants and fast food joints are easily accessible outside the campus area.

Hyderabad, being a cosmopolitan city, provides a lot of options with regard to food. There are several restaurants dotting the city that meet different requirements in terms of price, ambience and cuisine.

To find restaurants, check buurp and zomato. Hyderabad has a lot of choices for visitors. For ideas on what to do in the city and during weekend getaways, check the following tourist and event pages: Tourism, meraevents, and fullhyderabad.com.

Experiences

To read about the experiences of former exchange students & interviews from the staff visit here.