Karen Manley visits India

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Posted on 22 May 2013

During January and February of this year, I was very fortunate to be part of the Rotary Group Study Exchange team that went to Bangalore, India for a 4 week visit.  Last Summer, some of you may remember a letter that went around the University from the Rotary Club of Newcastle-under-Lyme inviting applications.  Following the submission of a lengthy application form and one of the most intense interviews I have ever had, I was delighted to be informed in August that I had been selected.  There followed a few meetings of the new team of five ladies and much negotiation and discussion with family members.  The decision to go was not an easy one to make, particularly as I have a daughter who turned 3 years old on the day of departure and a terminally ill grandfather.

My main reason was to travel to India for the first time to experience the culture, food and customs.  I have worked with international students for 10 years but all of my experience has been in the Far East.  I wanted to understand how Indian students are educated and their expectations from education.  I also wanted to discover what they thought about the UK, UK education and what their concerns and questions would be if they were coming to study in the UK.

The four week programme organised by our host district in Bangalore was very intensive.  We were asked to give weekly presentations to joint meetings of two or more Rotary Clubs and again at the District Conference.  On each day of the schedule, we visited at least two projects that were funded by local and international Rotary Clubs.  These varied from hospitals, schools and orphanages to rural micro-credit organisations, training institutes and polio vaccination programmes.  With regard to my vocation, I visited several study 'counsellors' that advised on and organised UK and US study for interested students and met with groups of students at various education institutions.  I even gave a lecture to 60 MBA students.  There were lots of social activities organised so that we could relax a little; the public parks and gardens were filled with exotic flowers that were beautiful to see during what would be Winter at home, we saw lots of indiginous wildlife at a safari park and bird sanctuary, we were VVIPs at a public holiday parade and I enjoyed attending two Indian weddings.  For the four weeks we each stayed with our own host family for a week at a time before moving on a Sunday to our new family. Living with a host family rather than returning each evening to a hotel has given me the best experience in terms of culture, way of life and also support.  Each of my hosts made me feel very welcome and a part of the family, which was much needed at the times I was missing my own family.

It was interesting to hear different views on India as a British Colony and opinions on how India is moving on after independence.  I expected a greater pervasiveness of Western clothes, food and popular culture but was surprised to see how little this had happened.  I was also amazed to see how many projects are funded with the support of Rotary and the difference these projects are making to so many people.  The projects that had the greatest impression on me were those that empowered women and those giving healthcare.  I was genuinely shocked by the fact that if you could not afford healthcare for lifelong critical conditions such as kidney failure, then you would die.

My outlook on my sponsor country has changed also.  I have long appreciated the beauty of the UK and the culture that we have by showing it to my international students on day trips and tours but to talk about our local and national heritage, charity, food, sport, architecture and industry shows that we have much to continue to be proud of and has made me feel more passionate about my own country and region. 

In terms of professional experience, it was valuable to be able to talk to students in Higher Education in India to find out what they thought about a UK education and to ask them that if they were going to study in the UK, what their concerns, questions and potential issues could be.  This will better inform me when writing the pre-arrival information for this year’s intake of international students.  It was beneficial to see how the pupils and students are educated in India so that I can better support the students coming to study at our University and equip them to make a smooth transition to UK study and better ensure success in their programme.  It was very interesting to compare the pastoral and welfare support available to students in both the UK and India.  Where the UK are investing heavily in support staff and following the American model, Indian institutions attach little importance to such activity; most institutions have only one ‘Guidance Counsellor’ and it is often seen as a test of being at University to overcome personal difficulties with the support of the family and to continue with study.  It was good to see that volunteering is growing in importance among Indian students and an attitude of thinking more of others rather than focussing on oneself.

For me, the most important aspect of the exchange was seeing the many projects that Rotary is involved with and the difference that they can make.  It was a very effective showcase and something that, on a personal level, I hope to promote and support.  I thoroughly enjoyed my time in India and I shall be returning in a few years time with my family so that they too can share my experience.

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