The taste of a vibrant culture

Jain University recently played host to a team of 11 students — all with a background in history — from the University of Exeter, the UK, who had come down for an
exchange programme as part of an MoU signed by the two institutions.

The intent behind their visit was to familiarise themselves with the culture and tradition of India, as well as get a deeper insight into and first-hand experience of the issues faced by a developing country.

During their week-long stay here, the students participated in interactive sessions in
Indian psychology, art and architecture, native aspects of the food, indigenous games and of course, cinema.

As part of the exchange programme, both the students from Exeter as well as those here at the university got an opportunity to interact with each other and understand more about the
methods of education in the two countries.

The team made the most of their limited time here, visiting different spiritual places and even getting a peek into ancient Vedic culture. One of the students, Fiona Potigny, was particularly excited because this was her first visit to India.

 “I had read about India in the media and imagined it to be a country full of colours and friendly people, known for its spicy food, music and dance,” she says.

 However, she admits that there’s a lot more to the country than its projected image, which she realised only after experiencing it first hand.

“My visit has really enlightened me. I’m touched by the hospitality of the people here and feel very privileged. I look forward to visiting this vibrant country again,” she adds.
To ensure that they got a holistic understanding of India, the team made it a point not to restrict themselves to understanding the urban way of life.

 In fact, they got a glimpse of another lifestyle when they visited Kanakapura and experienced rural art and architecture, social life and even a colourful folk festival.
Alice Lawson, an archaeology student who is part of the team, says that the trip was indeed an enlightening one.

 The student, who spends six months a year in this country thanks to her research
activities, admits that it has become a second home to her.

“We have been introduced to interdisciplinary research subjects that have a lot of
opportunities in the future. We learnt many aspects about the traditional medicines and Indian psychology as well,” she says.