'Youth University' draws students at German Mela

‘Youth University’, an event at the Indo-German Urban Mela on Saturday, drew a large number of students who interacted with representatives from institutions in Germany. 

The event provided a platform for students to get a peek into academics in Germany and provided an idea of the yardsticks adopted in the institutions of higher learning.

Prof Gabriele Diewald, vice-president, the University of Hannover, Germany, elaborated on the admission process to universities in Germany. She said a crucial part of the admissions was basic language skills in German.

She advised the students to prepare for it before applying to any of the institutions. Students should apply by July 15 for the winter semester which begins in October and by January 15 for the summer semester which begins in April every year.

“Average living expenses for a student would come up to about € 859 per month in a city like Hanover,” the professor said. Students could get help from any of the branches of Max Mueller Bhavan or from the website of the German academic exchange service, ‘DAAD’.

Subroto Bagchi, chairperson, MindTree, told the youth that corruption and innovation never go hand in hand. “Say no to pervasive corruption as you will not be able to innovate if you are corrupt,” he said.

Prof Timothy Gonsalves, Director of IIT, Mandi, stressed the importance of networking with people for exchange of ideas. The representative from DAAD will be in the City from June 28 to July 1 to interact with students. The Urban Mela will conclude on July 1.