St Xavier's heading for Dubai

The request for such a campus initially came to the Jesuit missionaries of St Xavier's from the alumni a couple of months back, when the Dubai chapter of the alumni association was launched ceremoniously with quite a few senior Jesuits in attendance.

'After we came back, we discussed the matter and decided to start a campus there. But it might not be a replica of St Xavier's as far as subjects offered are concerned. We have to cater to a completely different clientele in Dubai,' principal Father Felix Raj said.

The college is now conducting a survey to find out the kind of subjects in demand in Dubai at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

'There is a huge demand for English-language training in Dubai and that is our niche speciality. The preliminary report will specify subjects that we need to start immediately. There is also a huge demand for management studies. We will certainly have some courses there. For this, we will take the help of XLRI and XIMB, our two management institutes of national repute,' Father Raj said.

Though the Dubai government is open to allowing foreign institutions to start campuses there, the nuances of setting up a college are very different there.