Nandini Bhogar

Research Student pursuing a PhD at UNB, Fredericton
(President, Indian Students Association)

I am a research biologist at the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton. It has been three years since I first arrived at Fredericton and as I take a step back and ponder over the past I am left smiling to myself. I could not have made a better decision than choosing Canada for pursuing my research. Here I share a few of my thoughts as to why the road I have chosen to tread on has made all the difference it can!

In the present scenario, the world’s economy mainly survives on innovation. There is a growing awareness of the need for skilled personnel. Now this naturally leads to a greater demand for graduate students not only involved in academic research but also in corporate world. This was the main reason I chose to pursue my graduate studies. After my masters in India, I wanted to do my PhD in a foreign university for want of greater exposure and a different experience. I shortlisted Canada, USA, UK and Australia as these were the top favorite destinations. I zeroed in on Canada finally to do my PhD. The first reason was that I got an offer in my area of interest. The application procedure for Canadian Universities is much simpler than any other country and absolutely hassle free. The tuition fees are considerably less when compared to other countries and the degree in any Canadian University is valid worldwide. Since people are very friendly, it becomes easier for a non-native to adapt and enjoy their stay. The standard of education and research is par excellance. The university where I come from has been a pioneer in scripting world famous success stories in research. These research labs have also given birth to market sellable products serving as think tanks of innovation. This attracts a lot of people from different countries, just like it did to me. And this interaction with the international community is simply rich. The viewpoints that each different person brings to the table is truly unique and I wish students serious about their masters ad research will work best in this kind of a stimulating evironment. On a whole my experience in Canada has been remarkable and truly rewarding.

On the other aspect of being a resident , Fredericton is a beautiful ciity bursting into a splash of colours in summer. It is peaceful and sets the right ambience for research. Besides that, other avenues like the Indian Students Association exist by which I have improved my overall personality. Experience of teaching, getting involved with various cultural and social organizations has improved my leadership quality, problem solving and also to work in a team. All these experiences have moulded me and will surely help me in creating a better future.

S.Swathi Meenakshi

Bachelors in Electrical Engineering (Senior Year),
College of Engineering, Guindy
India


It was a pleasant surprise when I had gotten selected for the MITACS Globalink Internship program at the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Canada. The first mail from Sue Roppel, Strategic Director at MITACS annoucing my selection amongst 750 other top notch students from the IITs and CEG made me double or probably even triple check if it was truly my name on the award letter. As realisation dawned and the day came close, I was excited to be flying across the sky all alone to spend one small summer working on a research that attempts to quell man's curiousity about his origins. (Yes, the relativity group in which I am working is actually studying black holes and in a broader sense the Big Bang!)

The time I have been in Canada will arguably go down as the best days of my school years. From the natural friendliness of the Canadians to the flexibility of research work I am simply loving it all. A cool breeze rustling the dark maroon maple leaves, the smell of freshly mown grass and a hot cuppa of delicious liquid chocolate set the perfect pace for an intellectually engaging day. The meetings with my research guide Dr.Viqar Husain are things I look forward to everyday. With animated discussions about homogenity and isotropy of the universe, about Einstein and relativity, about Newton and gravity are simply remarkable. The amount of interaction that I am having here with a Professor who is also the Department Chair is simply unimaginable back home. What excites me most about the system of education prevalent here is the freedom you get with doing things your way. It is guided in a sense that your ideas are tested before they are judged and that builds confidence.

The other aspect that leaves me spell bound is the high quality of research being done here. During the MITACS industrial week we were given a brief glimpse of the kind of research happening at UNB. Some of the teams here are working on problems that are of tremendous practical value to the industry. For instance the MRI group of UNB is attempting to image rocks making lives simpler for oil executives. And that's a classic example of the merging of academia and industry which often exist as only parallel lines in most places.

About the life in Fredericton, one word would sum it up - elegance. Freddy city displays a bounty of natural splendour. A walk by the St. John river bank pondering over just about anything in peace savouring the beauty of the waters is probably out of a Jane Austen countryside. But well, the best thing is you can do that in Fredericton. With lesser distractions, Fredericton is one ideal place to study.

On a closing note, my whole Canadian experience can be summed up in two lines :

It was one small summer in Canada,