Apropos of the news story, “Make sure you fact-check and have financial backing to study in Oz: Envoy” (THT, June 5, Page 5), rather than leaving this to the local prospects, it is best done by the embassies.

Faces will tell the local aspirants’ understanding of education in Australia, the second preferred destination for PR seekers, and their families’ financial health. As for returning to Nepal and contributing to its development and growth after bagging a foreign degree, this is a long shot in the present political and social context. In any case, many students who clear the visa hurdle to land in Australia do not do so to return to their beloved country. These youths are misfits in the new structure of the country. The nationalists will stay back in the country, go to local schools and colleges, take membership of a political party and contribute to the country’s prosperity as much as their own. As for the foreign-educated, as soon as they land at the boutique airport, they will realise that they have come to the wrong place. A foreign education can make one an alien in their own country. It happens to everyone. Barring a few exceptions, many students go to foreign countries for PR or earning money. Everyone knows this. A destination can reveal the long-term intention of Nepali students. Generally, some students go to countries like Greek or Turkish Cyprus to earn money. They go to Australia and New Zealand to stay forever.

Manohar Shrestha, Kathmandu

Coffee

This is with reference to the editorial “Coffee tourism” (THT, June 6, Page 6). It is really nice if we could promote our local product, such as coffee, in the international market. I agree with the idea that if we could make foreign visitors experience our coffee, it would help boost our economy to the next level. I think, the Nepali diaspora can play an instrumental role in promoting our local products. The only thing we need to do is understand the international marketing strategies and policies to edge over other global competitors in the first place. I have been living in Melbourne for donkey’s years.

I have been learning the subtleties of the coffee business about how people are promoting their coffee in international markets. Our neighbouring country, Sri Lanka, has been making enormous profits by exporting Ceylon tea in the west. In this competitive world, it is important for the dollarisation of our business in the international realm. We could definitely promote our local products if we just put our efforts wholeheartedly into what we do. Generally speaking, the world cannot be secluded from coffee. Different walks of life from all around the world drink coffee. In a nutshell, the potential of the coffee business is enormous. So why not roll up our sleeves and get on with what it takes to promote our coffee business in the international market? But we need to increase the volume of our coffee to make a noticeable impact in the international market.

Shiva Neupane, Melbourne