Email
Print
Share
AIESEC trainees love the sights, sounds, express surprise over ongoing quota stir
Deepa Suryanarayan
A motley crowd of youngsters gather in the campus of St Xavier's College every Saturday afternoon.
Dressed in casual jeans and tees, with knapsacks slung on their shoulders, they all look alike.
Except for the fact that they are all interns, who come from Poland, Romania, Greece, Germany, Netherlands, Korea, China as part of AIESEC's (a French acronym for Association Internationale des Etudiants en Sciences Economiques et Commerciales) trainee trip programme.
Next month, around 200 youngsters from all over India and from various countries abroad will participate in AIESEC's national conference, in Goa.
"It's a great opportunity to learn," said Emma Hall, 19, a Canadian citizen who arrived in Mumbai on Friday. Emma will work with Aakar Knowledge Solutions, an NGO that aims at complimenting the school curriculum with short-term courses, workshops and educational products.
"My job will be to research and introduce interesting and innovative teaching methods," said Emma. She is staying with her Indian hosts and has already researched the Indian education system. "I plan to introduce fun courses like robotics, law and journalism to students in the 10-14 age group," she said.
"The medical reservation quota controversy is astounding," remarks Llorene Agmata, 21, who has come from Toronto, Canada as a 'Cultural Envoy for Exchange Development.'
"Apart from the controversy it has generated, it just goes to prove how seriously competitive the field of education in India is," said Llorene, who studies International Business Administration in Canada. "Canadian students will need to raise their standards very high to compare with standards abroad."
The students will intern with corporates like Tata Consultancy Services, Godrej, Cactus Communications, Larsen & Toubro, ABN AMRO, and NGOs like Population First, Childline, Indian Council for Mental Health etc.
Angela Lockyar, 19, another Canadian on her first visit to India is fascinated with the sights and sounds. "I have been making marketing calls with the help of Indian students," she said.
Their Indian counterparts from city colleges share their enthusiasm. "It is very easy to get acquainted with them. We share space, ideas, experiences and interests," said Sidharth Seekond, vice president, external relations, AIESEC-Mumbai.
