Mozambique's President Filipe Nyusi meets batchmates during visit to alma mater

AHMEDABAD: Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi today went down the memory lane during a visit to his alma mater -- the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A) -- where he met 18 of his classmates.

Visiting the campus, he remembered his days at the institution where he completed his Management Education Programme for Senior Executives in 2003.

"This institute has received the recognisation of training a president. My being president of a republic has given recognition to Gujarat and to this institute," he said in reply to a question on whether would he give any special treatment to people from IIM-A and Gujarat, since he had studied here.

"As I have given recognition to the institute and the state, I have come here to take my charge," Nyusi said in a lighter vein.

He said that he was very grateful for being given an opportunity to address the business community in the institute where he studied.

Nyusi is on his first visit to India after he becoming the President six months ago.

During his five-day visit, he will spend two days in Gujarat. He also addressed a meeting of businessmen at the IIM-A organised by the Indo-African Chamber of Commerce and Industry to attract investment to his country.

IIM-A had invited Nyusi's batchmates of 2003 for a get together today.

"Out of his 37 batchmates of 2003, 18 came and they had a good time with the head of the African state," IIM-A Professor Arvind Sahay said, adding that some of his batchmates head big Indian companies at present.

"The demand for the Management Education Programme for senior executives has increased to such an extent that we have converted it to a one-year diploma course from a four-and-a half-month certificate course earlier," the professor said.