(This letter is part of a series by The Indian Express where we bring to you the experiences of students at different foreign universities. From scholarships and loans to food and cultural experiences — students tell us how life is different in those countries and things they are learning other than academics)
— Pranesh Lavania
I study villages, cities and everything in between. I am pursuing a master’s degree in rural development through the Erasmus Mundus programme. As per the programme, students will get a joint degree from six universities — Ghent University, Belgium; L’Institut Agro (National Higher School of Agronomic, Agrifood, Horticultural and Landscape Sciences), France; Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany; University of Cordoba, Spain; University of Pisa, Italy and Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra.
Life in a Foreign University: Pranesh Lavania with his Ghent cohort
Students have to choose a minimum of three universities and a maximum of six universities to study at. However, it becomes difficult to manage all six in a two year degree, so most students prefer four. I am currently in the last phase of my master’s and I am at L’Institut Agro Rennes-Angers. I came to France in August 2023 and will be completing my degree in July 2024.
I began my degree with Ghent University in Belgium where I studied between September 2022 and June 2023 then I was at Slovenská pol’nohospodárska univerzita v Nitre (Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra) between June and July 2023 followed by my current institute at France. I even went to Poland for 15 days for one module.
I hail from Uttarakhand and completed my graduation from GB Pant University. I studied BSc Agricultural Sciences from 2015 to 2019. Later, I pursued an MA in Development, Policy and Practice from Rajiv Gandhi National Institute Youth Development, Chennai (October 2020-July 2022). My specialisation was in human rights and I even got a scholarship.
Erasmus Mundus programme
After completing my master’s in India, I was looking to pursue a PhD from abroad and I came across the Erasmus Mundus programme. I decided to pursue it not only because it is prestigious but an advanced master’s. The applications for programmes begin at different times, so one needs to keep checking the official website.
As per the rules, you apply for the programme and scholarship together and suppose 50 people are selected for the programme, the top 15 will get the scholarship. In order to apply for the same, you need to submit your transcripts, statement of purpose, letter of recommendation, CV, professional paper or assignment paper explaining your research topic and more in 2000 words.
Life in a Foreign University: Pranesh Lavania with the Poland batch
The Erasmus Mundus programme has nearly 17 types of specialisation in rural development, my specialisation is society. Since I wanted to study regional development, I am also learning about agrarian change which studies the changing relationship in the agriculture sector. It deals with trade, supply, resources, land ownership, gender, power and more.
Europe is scenic
During my free time, I travel. Since I have a Schengen visa, I have travelled to countries that come under it. When I was in Belgium I travelled to The Netherlands, Germany, and Luxembourg, while in Slovakia, I travelled to Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Now, since I am in France, I am planning to visit Spain and Italy.
My experience of living in all four cities has been great. The cities are all cluster-free zones, pedestrian-friendly, well-maintained and accessible. There are many activities for students to keep them engaged like sports clubs, literary clubs, arts clubs, drama clubs and so much more. There are open markets on weekends, carnivals, escape room challenges and whatnot. Here carnivals are about food, cultural exchanges and games.
Living in Europe, I got to meet so many new people who shared their stories with me; the experience has been truly enriching. The place I really enjoyed living in was Warsaw. Even though I was there only for 15 days, it was still a great experience. Generally, European markets close at 6 pm, but in Warsaw the markets are open till 8 pm to 10 pm since it does not come under the Eurozone.
Life in a Foreign University: Pranesh Lavania with Slovakia batch
One of the best aspects of the Erasmus Mundus programme is we would get student dorms. There were different set-ups in each country. In Ghent, we had a common kitchen with a private room and washroom, while in Poland there was a studio apartment shared between two people. In Slovakia, we had different rooms but common washrooms and in France, it is an apartment unit with two separate rooms, common washrooms and a common area.
Similarly, with food, every place has a different setup. In Ghent, we used to cook breakfast and dinner and eat lunch in the cafeteria while in France, food is arranged from Monday to Friday while on weekends we have to cook.
Even before coming to Europe, I was quite independent. In India, at one given point I used to be submerged in one thing completely, when it was work it was only work and there was no time for other things. Moreover, there is no such concept as eight hours as most people have to shell out extra hours. But in Europe, work-life balance is maintained. Employees indulge in their hobbies and take out time for other things as well.
Learnings from Europe
Here people have to do everything on their own — from household chores to other day-to-day activities. Life here is more disciplined. You have to plan things much in advance, be it your professional or personal life. Things such as going out with friends and eating out also should be planned in advance, not spontaneously. Europeans work on a schedule and stick to their calendar.
From an education perspective, Europe is good and the tuition fee is not that high. It has been a wonderful experience for me. You learn so many new things, meet people and go through new experiences. But, people should prepare themselves well as it is no cakewalk, Here, not everyone knows English. Most countries are English language friendly as they understand that you are tourists but if you’re planning to stay for long, learn the local language, adapt to the lifestyle here and accept the culture of a place. You have to be open and learn and understand how the system works. There is a lot of uniqueness in each place.
I wish to return to India after some time and work in the academic field.
Life in a Foreign University: Pranesh Lavania will be getting his advanced Master's degree from six universities under Erasmus Mundus programme (Graphics by Angshuman Maity) 
Life in a Foreign University: Pranesh Lavania with his Ghent cohort
Life in a Foreign University: Pranesh Lavania with the Poland batch
Life in a Foreign University: Pranesh Lavania with Slovakia batch
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