CHENNAI: Ten students from the Shibaura Institute of Technology, Japan, made a virtual study visit to IIT Madras between September 6 and 17, during which they learned English engineering and yoga.
Within the study travel program, Japanese students would come to IIT Madras twice a year. The program allowed these students to learn about the research work of the IIT-M, while also giving them the opportunity to get to know Chennai and visit nearby cities. However, the program was not organized last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“When students come here physically, they are very excited because it is a new culture and they visit Japanese companies and Mamallapuram and Puducherry. It’s a fun experience. Replicating this is quite difficult. So we’ve added some programs like yoga and learning English, ”said Raghunathan Rengaswamy, dean (global engagement), IIT Madras.
Due to the virtual mode, the visit was restricted to only 10 days. Still, the institute kept it interesting even by teaching greetings to students in Tamil and explaining the traditional and cultural ties between Japan and India.
“We had to incorporate aspects of virtual reality so that they could be done in the virtual visit to the campus, to the research laboratories and to places like Mamallapuram. We will work to make the experience much richer, ”he added.
The institute will also host virtually students from Singapore, the UK and Canada. “We will also plan a batch of students from various countries,” Raghunathan said.
Within the study travel program, Japanese students would come to IIT Madras twice a year. The program allowed these students to learn about the research work of the IIT-M, while also giving them the opportunity to get to know Chennai and visit nearby cities. However, the program was not organized last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“When students come here physically, they are very excited because it is a new culture and they visit Japanese companies and Mamallapuram and Puducherry. It’s a fun experience. Replicating this is quite difficult. So we’ve added some programs like yoga and learning English, ”said Raghunathan Rengaswamy, dean (global engagement), IIT Madras.
Due to the virtual mode, the visit was restricted to only 10 days. Still, the institute kept it interesting even by teaching greetings to students in Tamil and explaining the traditional and cultural ties between Japan and India.
“We had to incorporate aspects of virtual reality so that they could be done in the virtual visit to the campus, to the research laboratories and to places like Mamallapuram. We will work to make the experience much richer, ”he added.
The institute will also host virtually students from Singapore, the UK and Canada. “We will also plan a batch of students from various countries,” Raghunathan said.