Clémence Costaouec – IMT Atlantique, France | Spring 2022

Student @ IMT Atlantique, France
Semester Exchange @ Department of Energy Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay

From January 2022 to May 2022, I spent one semester at IIT Bombay as a semester exchange student in the Energy Science and Engineering department. I felt at home really quickly on campus. Everybody was really welcoming and it was nice to discover Mumbai with the other international students. Even if the classes required personal work, I had time to enjoy the sport facilities on campus and to attend a lot of events such as Mood Indigo, TechFest, etc.

I was amazed by the quantity of things to do, it was never boring. In addition, the campus is like heaven in Mumbai. I really enjoyed the proximity of Powai Lake and all the trees which make me feel far from the city. This semester changed my life. I discovered a wonderful city, met new friends, and learnt a lot about India.

I really want to thank all the people who made it possible and I wish all the new semester exchange students to have an unforgettable semester!

Khoder Alhamwi Alshaar – Student from Syria

Student from Syria
Dual Degree (M.Tech.+Ph.D.) student @ Department of Aerospace Engineering, IIT Bombay

It has been three years since I first arrived at IIT Bombay in 2019. What a great journey full of experience. At first, I came to do my M.Tech. in the department of Aerospace Engineering with a scholarship from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

For me, it was a dream come true to be in India which is the country of colors. My love of IITB started with the first email I received from the International Relation office. They offer assistance in each and every possible way. Later that year, I met my supervisor Prof. J.C. Mandal with whom I changed my program to Dual Degree (M.Tech.+Ph.D.). Like many professors in IITB, Prof. Mandal supported and guided me not only with research, but with his priceless advice to tackle stress and anxiety in daily life.

When I am asked if I have friends in India, I simply answer: I have sisters and brothers. Words will never be able to describe the bounds that I made with my friends here. In short, at IIT Bombay I feel at home.

Leonardo Morlein

Student @ Leibniz University of Hannover, Germany | Exchange @ Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Bombay

In Germany I was taught to take my own responsibility for my studies. I was free to learn, attend and work how I found is the best way for me. In IIT Bombay the professors forced to spend my attention continuously and in depth. I had more lectures, quizzes, exams, home works, projects, vivas and presentations in one subject than I had ever before. To sum it up : In Germany I learned to organize I discovered my potential to handle a huge amount of work.

Alexander Stein

After five intense months on the campus of IIT Bombay, I left Mumbai with some tears in the eyes but a smile in the face, looking back at all the awesome people and experiences. Reaching the campus, I couldn’t feel that I am in the biggest city of India. I honestly couldn’t imagine a better place to live than in Mumbai. It took a few attempts until I felt comfortable leaving the campus on my own. However I started quickly enjoying the rickshaw drives and the people love to help, in particular, if they see that you are a foreigner! I had to learn that only a few courses can be quite some work including quizzes, projects and homework hand-ins. And you always find some students who work passionate, either for course projects or competitions in cultural or sport programs. The culture club presentations were truly impressive! It was a great choice for my semester exchange!