Not only is she excited to be setting foot outside India for the first time but this 20-year-old from the Banjara ethnic group is also beaming with pride that she will present a project about her community at a University in Scotland and in her traditional outfit.
Arati V Chavan is a student at S B College of Science, Commerce and Arts under the Gulbarga University and is one of the 13 students from Karnataka who will leave on Saturday for a 5-day -residential visit to the University of Dundee for a public university in Scotland sponsored by the British Council and coordinated by Karnataka’s department of higher education.
Chavan, who belongs to the Banjara community herself is part of a group that has researched the Assessment of gut microbiome profile and antimicrobial resistance pattern in local tribal population near and in Kalaburagi (Lambanis or Banjaras). Banjaras are nomadic tribes who prefer to reside in colonies away from typical urban settlements.
“Since I belong to the community, it was easier for us to communicate with the tribe for the project. Initially, when I told my parents, they were reluctant about the trip. My teachers convinced them later. I am delighted to meet those students. It is a wonderful learning opportunity for me,” she said.
The 13 students were selected via a competition-based exercise to network and build relationships with the University of Dundee in selected research areas.
The project is envisioned jointly by Karnataka State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) with University of Dundee and is supported by the British Council.
Students at Gulbarga University, University of Visvesvaraya College of Engineering and University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru responded to an invitation to participate in the competition. Teams of 4- students have been identified with research-based projects.
Sanjana Hibare, another student, said that this was the first time that undergraduate students at Gulbarga University represented the varsity at an international level. Another student Shravan Kumar added, “It gives us a sense of pride that we can rub shoulders with students from across the world.”
Nischitha Tiwari, a student of UVCE, whose team is conducting an experimental analysis on using plastic and waste cooking oil said that she was willing to brave the challenges that came her way while utilizing the opportunity to meet students from foreign varsities.
Leadership development:
Meanwhile, Karnataka’s higher education minister Dr M S Sudhakar said “A delegation of 8 representatives including 5 Vice Chancellors of Karnataka State Public Universities to visit the United Kingdom for 12 days on Leadership Development Program from May 28, 2023 to June 8, 2023.”
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