Exchange Diaries  

Hariharan Ravichandran | Aerospace Engineering

The University of Texas at Austin, USA

Research Area: Robotics

What was the University and topic of research that was taken up by you during the FT?

The University was University of Texas at Austin and my topic of research was in the field of robotics.

Why is an FT important? How would one compare research in Indian universities and foreign universities?

In India the research culture isn't really motivated and the funding is missing, hence we don't have the resources or the lab to perform cutting edge research. Countries like the US and the European countries give you that lacking exposure.

FT vs corporate internship, what are all the things we are missing out on and what are we gaining more?

I have never done a corporate internship, but to give you a rough comparison, the work here in a FT is much more relaxed and gives you the time and motivation to actually learn the subject and perform research, as opposed to a rushed corporate culture.

Should BTech students aspiring for higher studies from abroad opt for an FT?

Yes. FT is a great opportunity to experience how the work happens in the Foreign Universities. It also helps in your CV when you apply for MS/PhD.

What exactly is the application process for the FT? Are there any important documents one must keep?

There are 2 ways of doing a FT:

Through programs offered by the University like Mitacs, etc.

Mailing Professor individually

I personally mailed the professors and received my project. The process differs based on what you are looking for and which way you are following.

How did the process get affected due to the online nature of the applications?

The first aspect is communication. We worked in different time zones so our work cycles were not optimized, leading to lesser communication. The second aspect is exposure, I would've gotten to work in the lab if this were an offline project. There weren't any positive effects other than the fact that you didn’t have to spend any money for doing the project.

Did you have to mail the professor personally for the project? For how much time did you wait for a reply?

Yes, I did mail the professor personally. I had mailed one set of professors in November, but I didn't get any positive response initially. Only about 10% of the professors you mailed will reply back in the first thread. I would suggest sending 3-4 follow-ups in case you don't get any reply and be patient.

When should one start applying for a FT? How long did the procedure last till you got the desired FT?

You can start mid-September and get your CV and Cover Letter ready for mailing. You need to be patient with the process. I got this FT in May, so you can wait for the project until around April.

What is the role of CGPA in the selection process?

While applying through external programs, CG has some weight over your selection but when mailing I don’t it matters that much as long as you have a good background and work in the field you are applying for.

How did the pandemic affect your application for the project? Did the pandemic have any positive impact on the project?

There weren't any positive effects other than the fact that you didn’t have to spend any money for doing the project.

Where should a student, who is unaware about the entire application process, look up for information about professors and their research work for opportunities?

Once you know which field you are willing to work in, you can just start looking for professors in that area of research. For those who haven’t narrowed down the field yet, they can start looking at University websites as they have all the Departments and Faculty listed.

How should a first year student prepare beforehand for his FT application in their subsequent year?

I think first year is too early for getting concerned with FT, but you can use this time to find what you are interested in and what field you would look for in the subsequent years.

Does belonging to IITKGP provide any added benefits for getting your FT?

People generally are aware of the IITs in the foreign Universities and this does give you a little advantage.