Exchange Diaries  

By International Relations Cell

Outbound Diaries 2019

Rochish Manda | Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

University of Alberta, Canada

Research Area: Developing advanced Interlayer Materials for all solid Li batteries

Duration: 3 Months


How did you apply for FT? How did you manage your expenses?
There are many programs that offer FT. UARE is one of those programs and I got selected for it. There are other programs like Mitacs, DAAD. They are more competitive and have high CG criteria. I had previous research experience which helped me.
The UARE scholarship mostly covered all my expenses. I was paid a stipend to manage my expenses and it’s more than adequate.

How did you develop an interest in this particular field?
In my free time, I used to follow up on the current research topics. I found some of them interesting and watched TED talks about them. I also looked upon the research work pursued by various professors in IIT Kharagpur and other universities. This helped me in deciding my area of interest.

How was your research experience at the University of Alberta? What made it different?
The research topics and lab equipment were similar to IIT Kharagpur. But the method of performing experiments was very great and every part was built by the team. It was way ahead of my expectations and it really helps you to get a deeper understanding of the subject.

How was your overall experience?
It was a very different and new experience for me. I learned a lot in the process. I figured out ways for many things on my own and it boosted my confidence. I love traveling, and what’s more wonderful if you get to travel to an amazing country while working on a topic of your interest?

What is the role of CG in getting an FT?
Firstly, don’t get discouraged if your CG is not good! But a good CG would definitely help you. DAAD, Mitacs has CG criteria. But CG is not all a hindrance to getting an FT.
Even if your CG is not high, an impressive cover letter, SOP and good recommendation letters from professors would help you get an FT.

What would you like to suggest to fellow KGPians about FT?
FT opens up a new perspective of research for you. If you are interested in research, it would help you. I would suggest that you start exploring various fields and decide your interest. You could take up a project under KGP professor, which would definitely help you.