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Anežka Kuncová, UCT Prague,
ročník 1About the country
Location of the place
The University is spread over most of Manipal, making it a very safe student town.
City
Manipal is a small town on the coast. Most of the population of the town is employers of the university and students.
Surroundings (possible trips, ...)
Close to Manipal is Udupi, which is a bigger city with shopping possbilities. Multiple beaches are just one bus away from this city. The easiest way to get around is to rent motorbikes and go on trips by them. Most fast trains stop in Udupi so it is easy to travel along the coast in night trains. I travelled to Mumbai, Kochi, Gokarna and Murdeshwar all by trains as it is the easiest and fastest option. IAESTE Manipal also tries to organize trips on the weekends to make travelling easier.
Employer
Employer
I worked for the university and a professor assigned to overlook my work.
Work description
I was assigned a project in Pharmacology which I was supposed to complete in the eight weeks. This project was designed by my professor after our first meeting to best meet my knowledge from the Czech Republic. He also made sure that all I learn and research will be useful for me in my future studies.
Salary (sufficient for local conditions?)
Full salary for a month without reductions was 6000 Indian rupees. Reductions were emloyed upon missed work days. The salary was not sufficient for a full month of living.
Language requirements
Fluent knowledge of English is neccessary for a person to be able to complete the work.
Accommodation (price, who provided it)
Accomodation was free, provided by the Manipal University.
Social life
Meeting IAESTE members (pick-up at the airport, organized events...)
I had pick-up from the airport arranged and one person showed me to my room at the hostel and helped me with all the documentation. Later on I had a buddy assigned to help me with any problems that might arise. We had a couple of organized trips and parties. The evemt in Manipal was the Namaste week, which was a full week filled with activities that taught us about Indian culture. Students from other parts of India that were also on an internship with IAESTE joined us.
Meeting other foreign students
After I arrived to Manipal I was added to a Whats app group that was made for us so meeting anyone was easy. At the time I arrived we were around forty students and we met for breakfasts, lunches and dinners. If we did not have an organized trip at the weekend we would plan something ourselves.
Sport and culture
As a student of the university I could pay for an membership in the Marena gym in Manipal, which also had a pool and tennis courts. Other tennis courts, a basketball court, a volleyball court and a football field were free to use, all of the outside.
Food, local specialties
The Indian food was absolutely amazing. I learned how to eat "the proper Indian way" and had the chance to taste many of the local specialities. I even think that over the two months that I spend in India I got used to very spicy dishes! Small tip: If you want something that is not spicy (meaning gravy) don't ask for "non spicy", as the meal will still have the signature spices in them, which might be spicy for us, ask for "sweet."
Other information
Possibilites to communicate with the Czech Republic
I was connected to the internet at all times, making it easy to shoot a message or an email back home anytime I needed.
Recommendations for students who will go to the same place
Try all the different meals, don't just stick to butter chicken! There are so many good options. And travel as much as you can at the weekends, there is a lot to see in India. Don't get stopped by long train rides, I spent seventeen hours on a train to Mumbai and I didn't regret going! Always get sleeper class though. Pace yourself with the project. I had troubles finishing my project in the end because at the beggining I underestimated the amount of time that I need to complete it.
What not to forget with you
If you're going in July or August, then definitely never forget an umbrella. Always carry it in your hand, because once it starts raining, you will not have enough time to take it out of your backpack.
Benefits of the internship
I got a lot of laboratory experience, which is something that is hard to aquire just by going to school. I also got to travel a lot and learn about a different culture.
Cooperation with IAESTE in the foreign country
After some initial troubles with getting my documentation for visa purposes, very smooth. I was assigned a buddy to adress my issues, but all of the IAESTE members were there for us if we needed anything.
Overall experience with IAESTE
Very good, there were no problems during my intership.
Student's website
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Employer's webiste
https://manipal.edu/mu.html
Other useful links
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Other comments
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