Exchange Diaries  

Sankalp Bose | Chemical Engineering

New York University, UAE

Research Area: None

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

The University was New York University, Abu Dhabi and the topic of research was in the field of Microfluidic Securities, with my work being at the crossroads of Fluids and Machine Learning.

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

I always wanted to explore my subjects with projects, as it gives you the sense of building a real-world system using the knowledge you have gained in the subject. I had done an internship before, which was way easier when it came to communication because of the similar background me and the professor shared. In the case of the FT, the goals were defined and the meetings were almost always result-oriented. This was the difference between the two for my case.

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

An FT project helps you with an in-depth understanding of the research topic, as you delve deeper into one particular subject. Whereas, a corporate internship demands you to work in a collaborative environment requiring you to work across different fields depending on the company's requirement and it has its own merits over the FT.

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

I am not personally inclined towards the prospect of higher studies but the FT itself helps you a lot whether you are looking at applying for higher studies or looking for future projects because of the value the university holds.

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

I applied for the FT off-campus. The documents here required are a CV that shows your inclination towards the field you are applying for and a cover letter. I used a common mail template that was customisable to the professor’s work for mailing.

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

Due to the online nature of the applications, the number of FTs has increased. This is because you can do projects remotely without the hassle of travelling which allows students to gain foreign research experience more easily which is great, however, the con is due to the number of students bagging FTs, the value of it on your CV comparatively decreases.

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

Since I did my FT off campus, I had to mail professors extensively. My advice would be to mail the professors whose current projects align with your interests and try to draft a mail such that you make a case about how your skills will come in handy for the project.

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

I was working on a project at that time under a professor at IIM. One of the other professors who I had mailed earlier had just replied to my mail, so you cannot have a fixed timeline, it can be as soon as 2-3 days to a month in some cases but you need to be patient with the replies.

What is the role of CGPA in the selection process?

CGPA was not the main reason I got the internship, I could grab the project because of the way I showed the professor how I could create an impact on the project. You do have a better chance if you have a better CGPA, but if you don’t have a great CGPA you have to work on other skills that are relevant to the field.

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

The pandemic definitely did help me grab the project. Due to the hassle-free nature of the remote projects they are really easy to take up and work on.

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

There are scattered ways of doing the process off-campus. Firstly, you need to find what field interests you the most. You can then start reading research papers from the field and collecting the names of the professors you would want to work under. Finally, draft good mails to show the professors about your interests and the contribution you can make to their work.

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

I feel like the first year must be put into finding out what fields you are interested in and want to work on, in the future. There are always virtual experiences you can take up to gain experience in the field. At the end of the day, the most crucial element is how you shape your experiences into showcasing your interests and work in the field you have chosen.

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

In my case, the tag did help out as my project was in collaboration with a few other universities, one of them being IIT Guwahati. In a general scenario, the tag does help you out as the IITs are well known among the professors of international universities.