Warm welcome for Indian students from the Consul General

The Consul General of India, Mr Bijay Selvaraj, hosted a welcome event at his office last weekend, in collaboration with the Indian National Student Association (INSA).

The student association has a mission of “creating a home away from home” for new students who have arrived in Scotland.

Indian students studying a variety of subjects and from different years from major Scottish universities attended the event. “Unity in Diversity” was on full display at the event, as these students represented several states and languages from India.

The event began with a brief introduction of INSA and their mission by Mr Kishore Dattu, head of INSA North. He highlighted the work that the body has undertaken to support Indian students in UK, the prominent role they had played during the pandemic, and encouraged people to get involved to help fellow students from the Indian community.

Miss Sakshi Jain, founding member of INSA chapter at the University of Glasgow, shared her experience of being a member and how it has enabled her to help fellow Indian students at her university and fulfil INSA’s crucial motto of contributing back to the Indian community.

The Rt Hon Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh Robert Aldridge was the VIP guest at the evening event. He highlighted that Edinburgh is open to all international students. And he said he had something in common with all the students present in the hall since he was once an international student. He emphasised the importance of having a support network, and suggested that more students get involved with INSA. He also talked of the common heritage and links between India and Scotland, and in particular, Edinburgh.

Mr. Karan Patil gave a very inspiring speech saying that the students might “work towards creating a solution for a social problem. Make sure your solution reaches the entire world”.

Professor Pankaj Pankaj, Professor of Computational Biomechanics, at the University of Edinburgh, said: “I believe that a diverse classroom, a classroom which has students from all nationalities enriches both research and education.” This resonated deeply throughout the room. He also shared valuable insights into the efforts of both countries to continue working to improve education, culture, and industry.

His Excellency Shri Bijay Selvaraj, Consul General of India in Edinburgh, made the keynote address, expressing his support for Indian students across the UK, particularly in Scotland. He underlined the significance of adhering to safety standards, and being responsible while in the UK. He also extended a warm welcome to all of the students and assured them of his assistance in their time of need.

Mr. Puneet Dwivedi offered the vote of thanks. He expressed his gratitude to the Consulate General of India and all the dignitaries in attendance for hosting the event and sharing their valuable knowledge and experience with the Indian students.

The students also had the opportunity to network – and enjoy a delicious Indian dinner provided by the Consulate General.

by Sakshi Jain INSA member and graduate from University of Glasgow.