Masterstudent Noor studied in India at SPPU
- In fact, one visit is just not enough if you’re curious about the contrasting culture.
Hvem er jeg?
Noor Jahan Khan (Noor works!). I completed my full-time master of sustainability management, campus Bø.
Frankly, it was by coincidence that I heard about this exchange while I was attending a seminar conducted by the culture studies department. I’m glad I did.
I have always been keenly interested in social aspects, and my curiosity about sustainability led me to pursue formal education in sociology. Additionally, it provided me with the opportunity to collect data for my master's thesis, which focused on comparing social inclusion and exclusion in Norway and India (my home country).
Frankly, it was by coincidence that I heard about this exchange while I was attending a seminar conducted by the culture studies department. I’m glad I did.
I have always been keenly interested in social aspects, and my curiosity about sustainability led me to pursue formal education in sociology. Additionally, it provided me with the opportunity to collect data for my master's thesis, which focused on comparing social inclusion and exclusion in Norway and India (my home country).
Hvorfor søkte jeg meg til denne institusjonen?
Under the social justice and culture topics, this was the only university I was aware of.
Hvordan var mottagelsen?
We had an introductory session by the SPPU, sociology department. It gave us an overview of the course and lecture schedule. We started with the course from the day one.
Fasiliteter på campus
Both the staff and the students were quite helpful and friendly. It is a nice campus. We met students from other departments in common areas like canteen, and shared experiences.
The canteen was substandard, unhygenic, and unhealthy, including the Adarsh canteen in the campus. I enrolled for the Yoga classes but the classes were very irregular. However, every class we attended, we felt nice. There was a health center in the campus with emergency services. I never had to use it though. Social arenas like bar and restaurants are not common in Indian culture.
The canteen was substandard, unhygenic, and unhealthy, including the Adarsh canteen in the campus. I enrolled for the Yoga classes but the classes were very irregular. However, every class we attended, we felt nice. There was a health center in the campus with emergency services. I never had to use it though. Social arenas like bar and restaurants are not common in Indian culture.
Hvordan bodde jeg?
The partner institution (SPPU, sociology department) had helped us find a nice apartment for all five of us to stay together in a residential locality in Deccan Gymkhana, Pune.
Hvordan var prisene sammenlignet med norske?
Housing:
We paid INR 150,000 for 3 months. This was shared between 5 of us which worked out quite reasonable. As the house was fully furnished, we didn’t have to buy many house items.
Food at the store:
All in accessable reach. We used the ‘Blibkit’ app to order groceries, ‘Swiggy’ for food, and ‘Licious’ for meat.
Dinner at restaurants:
Accessible and affordable
Drinks:
Accessible and affordable
Public transport/taxi:
Uber is the safest
Weekendtrips:
Many hiking trails within the city limits
We paid INR 150,000 for 3 months. This was shared between 5 of us which worked out quite reasonable. As the house was fully furnished, we didn’t have to buy many house items.
Food at the store:
All in accessable reach. We used the ‘Blibkit’ app to order groceries, ‘Swiggy’ for food, and ‘Licious’ for meat.
Dinner at restaurants:
Accessible and affordable
Drinks:
Accessible and affordable
Public transport/taxi:
Uber is the safest
Weekendtrips:
Many hiking trails within the city limits
Var det kulturforskjeller?
Except for a few instances due to some political and religious demonstrations, the Pune city felt quite safe. As is has a mixed population, there were many multi-cuisine restaurants. I explored and enjoyed the local food that was not very mainstream.
Not everything that meets the eye is true! India is a country of contradictions and has a complex culture. People are openly religious, power hierarchies exist everywhere, and low on trust.
Is there any language difficulties?
Not at all. I could easily navigate as I knew Hindi language. English works too!
I've learned a lot about life. India is an experience. A culture so distinct from the western culture, it can be life changing. If you manage to overcome the challenges and have proper guidance, one visit is just not enough to be satisfied. If you get to interact with the people in distress or underprivileged, you will experience unique emotions, deepening the experience. The culture varies from state to state, region to region. Indians take pride in their food which is very closely connected with their culture....much much more 😊
Not everything that meets the eye is true! India is a country of contradictions and has a complex culture. People are openly religious, power hierarchies exist everywhere, and low on trust.
Is there any language difficulties?
Not at all. I could easily navigate as I knew Hindi language. English works too!
I've learned a lot about life. India is an experience. A culture so distinct from the western culture, it can be life changing. If you manage to overcome the challenges and have proper guidance, one visit is just not enough to be satisfied. If you get to interact with the people in distress or underprivileged, you will experience unique emotions, deepening the experience. The culture varies from state to state, region to region. Indians take pride in their food which is very closely connected with their culture....much much more 😊
Hvordan var studiet?
I studied sociology. The workload is vague and hectic. The tutors was definetly qualified but it was hard to understand due to a lack of proficiency in English. Due to power heirarchy, it was not very easy to interact with the professors.
The learning outcome was not quite up to the mark but the topics were quite interesting. India is my home but the education there needs transformation. It’s more theoretical compared to Norway and lacks critical thinking.
The learning outcome was not quite up to the mark but the topics were quite interesting. India is my home but the education there needs transformation. It’s more theoretical compared to Norway and lacks critical thinking.
Anbefaler jeg utveksling?
Definitely! It’ll be transformative, and you’ll get a chance to understand how Indian society is structured. In fact, one visit is just not enough if you’re curious about the contrasting culture.
Min opplevelse totalt
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