A peek into Indian education

In the field of management studies today, an important aspect is gaining a global perspective and understanding of how the global marketplace functions.

With this in mind, IFIM Business School and International Consortium for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Research (ICIER) recently collaborated to conduct the ICIER-IFIM summer school programme 2013.

As part of this, students of the University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy, were given a glimpse of Indian education and living. During their 15-day stay, they attended lectures on campus, interacted with their counterparts from IFIM, went on industry visits, did sightseeing and even witnessed cultural programmes. Metrolife caught up with a few of the visiting students to learn about their experiences.

Maria Victoria Agata, one of the students, felt that the classroom learning in India is very different from what they have back home. “In India, there is more involvement of the faculty terms of explaining concepts elaborately. The engagement between students and faculty is much more, which helps each and every student get individual attention,” she says.

The programme also offered an insight into the differences within the business worlds of both countries. “I learned about the Indian market, the corporate culture and specifically about the state of women in India. We also came across a wonderful campaign called ‘S.A.F.E.’ (Students Against Female Exploitation), which is run by the students of the college. I found that very impressive,” adds Maria.

For some, the biggest takeaway was experiencing the culture of India firsthand. “I got to experience the people, culture, music and food in Bangalore and Mysore. The interesting thing that I noticed here is that the general lifestyle is fast-paced. People are also very friendly and warm,” shares Agostino Rapella, another visiting student.

Agostino notes that what surprised him most was how alike the youngsters in both countries are. “The youth in Italy and India are similar in terms of the clothes they wear, music they listen to, family values and thought process. India is a colourful place filled with dance and music, which we find back home as well,” he smiles.

Going by what they’ve heard of India, some even made attempts to explore spirituality. “India was the perfect place to explore my spiritual side. We visited the Gomateshwara Temple near Mysore and took part in the puja there. It was an overwhelming experience that touched my soul. I felt very calm and enlightened and I’m surely coming back for more!” says Julia Pasqualini, another student.

While she was impressed with the industry visits, she also found the classroom experience to be helpful. “The teachers here are given an immense amount of respect by the students. That makes the classroom sessions very enriching,” she adds.