Taj Mahal with Shreya and Shweta. FYI the outside > inside.

Hello again,

I am fully in the afterglow of the program. I’ll admit that the travel on the last few days of the trip was intense, but a few hours of sleep in my own bed and a proper home-cooked meal made me right as rain.

A good thing to note for future/prospective students is that you should try and get a few hour layover somewhere on there way there and on the way back. The value of the layover is that you get to stretch your legs and ideally you will have enough time to get a better meal than you would on the plane. Four other students and myself stopped in Munich, Germany for near nine hours, which was plenty of time to nap, eat, and rest before the final leg to Boston, Massachusetts. Airbrau, in the H terminal in Munich, is a great place to get some German food and drink to reset after 19 days of Indian food.

I want to thank both Professor Mehta and Professor Obal for their support and guidance through the coursework and travel. We had some bad luck with the bus rides. On separate occasions a tire blew and was punctured along with multiple police stops, and metropolitan traffic. The professors did not let the setbacks affect their outlooks even though in total it added an ~10 additional hours to the travel-time. I hope the professors who attend next year are able to be rocks for the students as well.

Another two people who need to be thanked are Shweta and Shreya from KLE’s BVB college. They were gracious enough to accompany the group to Agra, Jaipur, and Delhi. Their company and role as translators in times of distress cannot be understated. They were two people who were able to advocate for the group in situations where Professor Mehta’s Hindi was insufficient and so a BIG THANK YOU TO THEM. They also are just cool people to hangout with even when they are not getting us out of a bind. I wish them both the best of luck with their future endeavors. They are included in the group of students that I have kept in touch with (I know it has only been a few days), but still wanted to specifically address them here.

And a final thank you to Professor Nitin Kulkarni who has worked with Professor Mehta on developing the program into what it is. He is entirely responsible for the positive experience I had staying the the BVB Scholar’s house.

My final thought on the program is that it is a whirlwind experience. A two week intensive course with four days of heavy travel has me left with one thought, I need to go back. India has so much to offer and as I was only able to experience a small fraction of what looks to be worthwhile. Learning more about India from the other students showed me that there is such a rich and varied experience to be had all across the country from Hubli to Goa to Hyderabad.

I cannot recommend the experience enough. Thanks for reading.

Best,
Will

P.S. This experience taught me that people are the same everywhere. A sentiment that is simple and seems to be a given, but there is a difference between knowing it and experiencing it.

Hello Readers,

First day was a success! Having not been horizontal for nearly 40 hours and the combined stress of no regularly scheduled or balance meals I am surprised to say I feel incredible, which is entirely because of the energy of those I am surrounded by.

I have managed to greet a considerable portion of the group(~80 with volunteers), which has made a name for myself, meaning the rest of the group is introducing themselves to me (making my life that much easier). The first day of classes starts soon and I am up with one of my peers from UML getting started on the day. It feels wonderful to have had a full night’s sleep HORIZONTAL. I truly missed sleeping in my accustom position after my journey to here, Hubli, which took three flights and one bus trip.

Another notable event was the tour of the KLE Technological University Ctie space in their innovation hub. I had the opportunity to see some of the students and the space within which they are engaging in entrepreneurship and innovation on campus. The exchange group was even given a short presentation on one of the startup’s prototype for a self-guided pesticide spraying drone, the details of which were exciting.

That about wraps-up the first day. I do not expect to post every morning, but will certainly do what I can to recap all events that stick with me.

Thanks for reading!
Will

Pesticide spraying self-guided drone.

First group of students I met.

Hello Readers,

I am a senior at the University of Massachusetts – Lowell studying accounting and finance with a passion for entrepreneurship. I was first introduced to entrepreneurship during my sixth semester at the Pennsylvania State University in a seminar course in the Eberly College of Science. This course was one where notable PSU alumni would come and talk about their career path and experiences, to show us that not every path is linear. The only seminar that really stuck with me was from a well credentialed alumni who found himself being an advisor to startups with a biology/chemistry foucs. His experiences with startups ranged from successful to disastrous. The variability of experience showed me a field where one’s abilities can be fully developed and tested, which is how my passion for entrepreneurship was ignited.

I have sought out and seized opportunities, and this GEI program is certainly the one I am most excited for. To find myself in a new environment with students from China, India, and Japan working on an assignment to make something better will be a truly great experience. I am eager to see in what ways my peers and I are different and how our cultures and personal backgrounds will guide us through the work we will have.

Best,

Will