Excellent Introduction To India

As someone who's always wanted to travel to India but never got the chance until now, I'm extremely thrilled to say that living, learning, and exploring India through the International Summer Research Program at Ashoka University has been an absolutely life-changing experience for me!

As someone who studies South Asian/Indian Linguistics, getting the opportunity to work with esteemed faculty such as Professor Aalok Thakkar from Ashoka University's Computer Science Department was an excellent way to explore India through the lens of language, governance, and politics. I've learned so much about the historical foundations of India as a modern-nation state while being immersed in an linguistically rich environment. I've had so much fun learning with and from my peers and the passionate faculty at Ashoka, and I'm glad that my first introduction to India is through Ashoka University.

The Office of Global Education at Ashoka University was incredibly helpful throughout the process of adjusting to life on Campus and getting travel arrangements in the first place. Throughout the confusing VISA application process, the Global Office has always been available directly on WhatsApp to answer questions and even on Google Meets to offer more personable advice, staying by our side every step of the way. Furthermore, the Global Office ensures that every student who comes to Ashoka University for an intensive-summer experience also gets an immersive trip to various cultural, historical, and social sites all across the city of New Delhi, giving students the opportunity to visit everything from the Akshardham Temple to the Qutub Minar. It was truly an experience I am grateful for, and it is made possible by the support, dedication and meticulousness of the Global Office.

Throughout my summer program at Ashoka, I've made friends not just from all over India but from all over the world, and we have had such a cherishable bonding experience, whether we are chatting away at breakfast or planning thrilling day-trips across the Golden Triangle of India. My friends and I even organized a trip to go see the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort in only one day, and it was an incredible success. With the continued support of our lovely student Ambassadors and the Global Office, trips like these were planned without unnecessary worries. The Global Office also ensures that we have numerous opportunities for bonding and relieving academic stress whether through watching Bollywood movies every other day or helping out with Campus tours!

Ashoka University is a place that offers unprecedented services and facilities to its students. With two state-of-the-art gyms and an all-inclusive sports complex, Ashoka University students have the resources they need to make sure that they are always physically active and engaging in fitness-based activities. The gyms on campus are both open 24/7 and are quite new, and the campus is filled with volleyball courts, basketball courts, and areas to play all sorts of sports like Badminton and Squash. There is even a new pool that is under construction!

In addition to all the services Ashoka Provides for its students, the security at the university is truly astonishing! Every gate is guarded by 24/7 security officers who are there to ensure the wellbeing of students and staff.

Overall, I would 100% recommend my friends and peers to come to Ashoka University, as my summer here has been one of the most fruitful, exciting, and memorable summers ever, allowing me to find a beautiful balance between having fun with friends exploring India and using my time productively on academic projects that interest me.