The world comes to India

From savouring Indian delicacies, to attending lectures on Indian culture and politics, students are having a gala time at Jamia’s International Summer School. Garima Upadhyay Rawat reports.
A desire to better understand the socio-political realities of the region he was reporting on, encouraged Omar Achy (35) to participate at the International Summer School (ISS), being conducted by Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) under the banner of the ministry of tourism’s acclaimed Incredible India campaign.
From Morocco, Achy is the South Asia Bureau Chief with the Agence Maghreb Arab Presse. Like him, many students from India, Japan, Iraq, Syria, Australia , South Africa, Bhutan, Turkmenistan and the US are attending the summer school to engage with India at a deeper level.
Says Ryosuke Takaya, a Japanese student at ISS, “My stay is turning out to be very interesting. The programme is quite informative and the teachers are well-informed . We have students from across the world studying with us. It is a great experience.”
The ISS has brought together around 20 students from across the globe to explore India through its culture, politics, society, sociology and history. To help in their endeavour , the six-week programme at the ISS has been divided into two components : a four-week academic session , which will be held on campus and a two-week India experience, which will include excursions to Agra, Jaipur and other locations as well as the opportunity to volunteer for social causes.
For Gowsia Saleem, a Jamia Millia Islamia student from India, the ISS presents a great opportunity to get a global perspective on issues of polity and economy. “As a political science student, I have opinions about position of women, rules, democracy, etc, but ISS has given me an opportunity to go a step further and discuss these with my friends from other countries and gain a holistic perspective on issues. These discussions have enriched me beyond words and will go a long way in my preparation for the civil services examinations.”
As a part of ISS, students will learn through seminars — scheduled throughout the programme, documentaries and film screenings, and relevant interactions. A shortcourse on the Hindi language at the beginner’s level is also part of the programme. The programme offers intensive, undergraduate level course modules and experiences that focus on the wide ranging issues and developments shaping contemporary India. www.issnewdelhi.in
Courtesy: Educationtimes.com