{"id":6326,"date":"2017-06-02T14:42:10","date_gmt":"2017-06-02T18:42:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsroom.carleton.ca\/?post_type=cu_story&p=6326"},"modified":"2025-10-18T16:37:53","modified_gmt":"2025-10-18T20:37:53","slug":"india-study-tour","status":"publish","type":"cu_story","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/story\/india-study-tour\/","title":{"rendered":"India Study Tour Broadens Horizons"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n India Study Tour Broadens Horizons\n <\/h1>\n \n <\/header>\n <\/div>\n\n \n <\/path>\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\n <\/div>\n\n \n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n

India has the fastest growing economy in the world. Within a few years, with two-thirds of its citizens under the age of 35, it will also have the youngest population on the planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The current generation of Indian university students \u2014 fluent in English and focused on entrepreneurship, technology and innovation \u2014 will increasingly compete with Canadians in the global market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if Canadian youth can develop a deeper understanding of India\u2019s culture and economy, and get to know their peers on the other side of the planet, they will be able to tap into business, employment and partnership opportunities that reflect this new global reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was the overarching goal of Carleton University\u2019s inaugural India Study Tour<\/a> organized by the university\u2019s Canada-India Centre for Excellence<\/a> (CICE) \u2014 a research and training centre that promotes bilateral ties between the two countries \u2014 which brought nine undergraduate students to Mumbai and Bengaluru for two weeks earlier this spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI\u2019ve read about India, but that\u2019s no substitute for going and immersing yourself and experiencing it first-hand,\u201d says Carleton student Kateryna Gazaryan, who recently finished her second year in the Bachelor of Global and International Studies<\/a> program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery year, the world is becoming more and more interconnected. People, information, everything moves around.<\/p>\n\n\n

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“To be successful, it\u2019s important to have insight into different countries and cultures. You can\u2019t just focus on the West.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Gazaryan, who was born in the Ukraine, had never been to Asia before and is not concentrating on that part of the world in her studies. But she wanted to broaden her horizons and knows that evolving trade connections between Russia and India could have a direct link to her studies and future career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIndia\u2019s economic and political influence is growing,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s important to pay attention.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Balancing Academia with Culture and Commerce<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The study tour featured classroom sessions with leading local professors on Indian society, culture, religion, history, politics, entrepreneurship, innovation and its economy and business environment at Jai Hind College<\/a> in Mumbai, the country\u2019s financial hub, and at the International School of Management Excellence <\/a>in Bengaluru, India\u2019s Silicon Valley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those sessions were typically followed by afternoon and evening trips to heritage sites and events, including the National Gallery of Modern Art, a Bollywood studio with filming underway, the ancient Elephanta Caves, and an Indian Premier League cricket match in a stadium packed with 50,000 spectators. There were also visits to the Art of Living International Center, where students were introduced to meditation and the importance of slowing down in a fast-paced society and, of course, the Taj Mahal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were industry visits as well, including stops at a Toyota engine plant and multinational cutting tool manufacturer TaeguTec in Bengaluru, and at the Securities and Exchange Board of India, the country\u2019s financial regulator, in Mumbai.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was really interesting to see their work culture up close,\u201d says Gazaryan. \u201cThe way things were organized at the factory, the respect that employees and management have for one another.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Carina Zambrano-Cantor, who has finished her first year in Carleton\u2019s Bachelor of International Business<\/a> program, signed up for the tour because of its business focus. Most participants were in her field, with others coming from Carleton\u2019s biotechnology, social work and software engineering programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Born and raised in Ottawa to parents from Colombia, Zambrano-Cantor is well-travelled and was surprised though not shocked by India\u2019s crowded cities, poverty and economic disparity. \u201cThe trip really opened my mind to things that don\u2019t exist in Canada,\u201d she says, \u201cand will help me put myself in other people\u2019s shoes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both women really enjoyed spending so much time with students from Jai Hind College, who chaperoned the group from Ottawa throughout their stay in Mumbai and displayed a strong sense of community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students from the two countries discovered many cross-cultural similarities, such as a desire to learn and travel, and the fact that they use the same social media apps and tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Indian students were so open and showed us so much hospitality,\u201d says Zambrano-Cantor. \u201cThere was an instant connection. It was great to get their perspectives on the world, and to realize how much we have in common. Although, they do seem to be more driven than Canadian students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think I need to step up my game,\u201d she continues. \u201cI\u2019m a pretty motivated person, but now I know I could do more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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India Study Tour Enriches the Educational Experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Study tours that combine an immersive cultural experience with academic sessions are an excellent opportunity for Carleton students to enrich their educational experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is an ongoing national conversation about how best to encourage post-secondary students to take advantage of learning opportunities abroad,\u201d says Pauline Rankin, Associate Vice-President (Research and International). \u201cGiven that currently only three percent of Canadian university students participate in international educational experiences, study tours can help reverse this trend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The India Study Tour will become an annual offering at Carleton, according to CICE Manager Harry Sharma, who accompanied the group and plans to organize a tour every year in early May. The main intent, he explains, is to expose Canadian students to the opportunities, challenges and competition that India presents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIndia can be a great partner for Canada,\u201d Sharma says, \u201cbut if we don\u2019t understand it, it could also be a great competitor.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cYou can read books about India or watch documentaries and Bollywood movies, but you don\u2019t really appreciate how complex it is unless you\u2019re there in person.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Learning from local subject matter experts in classroom sessions \u2014 including one focused on the psychology of Indian youth \u2014 was one of the strengths of the tour, says Sharma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another highlight was the industry visits, which showed Carleton students that advanced manufacturing is happening in India and the country is producing goods and services for global distribution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the interaction with Indian students, says Sharma, revealed a passion for social change that really resonated among the Canadian visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similar interactions will take place on the Carleton campus in June and July, when the CICE hosts<\/a> four groups of Indian students for two- to four-week courses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the India Study Tour, the Carleton students were asked four questions: Are you more likely now to consider work opportunities abroad? Are you more likely to work or study in India? Are you more likely to travel overseas? Would you recommend this type of experience to other Carleton students?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answer to each question, from each student, was a resounding Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n

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India has the fastest growing economy in the world. Within a few years, with two-thirds of its citizens under the age of 35, it will also have the youngest population on the planet. The current generation of Indian university students \u2014 fluent in English and focused on entrepreneurship, technology and innovation \u2014 will increasingly compete with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":410,"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"cu_story_type":[25,1592],"cu_story_tag":[1921,1926,1922],"class_list":["post-6326","cu_story","type-cu_story","status-publish","hentry","cu_story_type-student-experience","cu_story_type-teaching-learning","cu_story_tag-faculty-of-public-and-global-affairs","cu_story_tag-international","cu_story_tag-sprott-school-of-business"],"acf":{"cu_post_thumbnail":"blueprint"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/6326","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/cu_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/410"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/6326\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98450,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/6326\/revisions\/98450"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6326"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cu_story_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story_type?post=6326"},{"taxonomy":"cu_story_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story_tag?post=6326"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}