A very well-learned stay

Updated on: Monday, September 06, 2010

Deepak Krishnamurthy and Swathi Meenakshi have much to share. Part of the MITACS Globalink internship programme that links talented international undergraduate students with world-class researchers at Canadian universities, the duo found the programme life changing. “My memories of this summer are of world-class research, an excellent lifestyle, the adventure of exploring a new country and meeting new people,” says Krishnamurthy, an intern at the School of Engineering Science, Simon Fraser University.

Working on a project entitled, “The Simulation of Transport Phenomena in Microfluid Fuel Cells with Flow-through Porous Electrodes,” Krishnamurthy, a B.E student with Honours in Mechanical Engineering, BITS-Pilani, was always sure that his Canadian sojourn would be outstanding. “The main differences — as far as science and technology disciplines — between India and Canada are in the level of hands on work. Students in Canada apply theories learnt in classrooms to real world, open-ended problems. Also worth mentioning is the organisation of research work. A research group means a team of faculty members and students (both graduate and undergraduate) working together on a specific area. This concept not just exposes students to real research, but also encourages them to pursue it. And finally, the non-hierarchical nature of faculty-student interaction is a great feature,” he says.

A student of B.Tech (Electrical and Electronics Engineering), at the College of Engineering, Guindy, Meenakshi is pursuing her internship at the Department of Mathematics, University of New Brunswick, on a project entitled “The Gravitational Collapse and Black Holes in Quantum Gravity.” With her arrival in Canada the first outside India, she was more than just scared initially. The eerie silence that engulfed the place — uncommon in India even at midnight — threw her off balance. “But then, the friendly nature of the people and regular meetings with the research guide helped me go on. Canada was a wonderful change and surprised me in many ways,” she says.

Krishnamurthy and Meenakshi are among 105 undergraduate Indian students currently working under the supervision of Canadian faculty members. The programme brings with it intense research exposure, business skills training (through the MITACS Step Program), tours of cutting-edge companies and networking with industry leaders and innovators. “With MITACS guiding us in everything from visa applications to accommodation, I had the time to focus on things that really mattered,” says Krishnamurthy, who also acknowledges his ‘weekend escapes’ in Vancouver as stress busters!

As far as education goes, Meenakshi has a lot to thank her research head. “Professors in Canada encourage interaction. Students always have access to their rooms whenever they get stuck with something. The rule applies to everyone, even someone who is a department chair. This is kind of unimaginable in India. The stay makes you more professional and independent,’’ she concludes.

A very well-learned stay

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