Getting into development

The Study India Programme is an opportunity for undergraduates to have a 3 weeks expenses-paid experience in India in either Mumbai or Delhi, in summer  2010. If you are graduating in 2010 you will still be counted as an undergraduate. The programme is designed to build links between British students and India.  Typically Indian students come in large numbers to study in the UK and this programme, funded by the UK India Education and Research Initiative helps  provide some cultural and intellectual two way traffic.  I spoke to  Selma Shawkat-Mohammed one of the 200 students who successfully applied for the first year of the programme in 2009. Selma is now a masters student in King’s College War Studies department.   

www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=159732297565&ref=ts

Use the Facebook site to keep up to date with the programme. The next application round is expected to start in January 2010. Register your interest by emailing studyindia@kcl.ac.uk.  More details at www.studyindia.org.uk/. There is a sister programme for China (www.studychina.org.uk for more information.)

 What did it involve?  As well as the cultural lectures we had talks on things like the tension between the environment and development, economics and even workshops on drama and Indian dance.  These were at local colleges.  Also there was a chance to do some work experience with a range of different types of organisations – art galleries, local government, charites for disabled children for example and NGOs.  I actually arranged my own placement before I left the UK to a think tank. The one I wrote to originally couldn’t help me as it was just too small but they put me in touch with India’s biggest think tank, the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.  To be honest I wasn’t able to do any research but I spent my time meeting the researchers and experts. It was really revealing getting their perspective on issues such as relations with Iran which are quite counter to the consensus in the west. 

What did it cost?   We had to pay for our own air fares but everything else was pretty well covered. Including our hotel and hostel accomodation.  Though there was always the temptation to eat out in the evening which wasn’t paid for by the programme. I heard that at least one student got paid to write about the trip in The Guardian which helped them offset the costs.

Why did you go  and How difficult was it to get selected?  Well it was a great chance to have an informed visit. I also felt I wanted to challenge myself. 

There were a 1000 applicants for 200 places – not terrible odds really but still competitive.  In the spirit of the programme they was interested in hearing about what applicants might bring to India and, of course, why India in the first place.