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 couldnt feel that I am in the biggest city of India. I honestly couldnt 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!
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.
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.
Clmence Costaouec IMT Atlantique, France | Spring 2022
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!
Exchange @ Universidad Carlos III de Madrid | 4th Year Student @ Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Bombay
On 29th May, a day before my birthday, I got a mail saying I've been accepted by the A4U university. I confirmed the news once again and went on to embark on one of the most beautiful and influencing journey of my life so far. I wish I could say staying alone in a new country with a language you barely spoke, all alone for the very first time out of India was easy but it wasn't. But this proved to be one of the out of world experiences. I am not sure if I will ever have gotten something like this if I hadn't applied for an exchange.
I made so many memories here, met so many people, accepting and appreciating the differences, learning to be okay all by myself and most importantly the confidence I gained in the process was priceless. I have made friends here, collaborated with a couple of them for projects, gone to explore Spain with them and exchanged crazy stories while embracing the Spanish culture. I stayed here with a warm Spanish family to integrate into the culture better and it had been one hell of an experience! I think my exchange has made me understand beyond the borders, the people and their culture, where they are different than us and where they are just like all of us. This exchange also enlightened spirits of nationalism in me that I barely knew existed before. I would recommend everyone to go embark on their own journey to find themselves and even if they didn't, you're sure to make the memories you'll always hold dear! I thank god, A4U and my institute to have given me such a once in a lifetime opportunity. I'll forever be grateful! Couldn't have asked for a better exchange!