THE INDIA DAY AT WUT

India Day participants at Warsaw University of Technology. Photo by Denys Amitsa.

Warsaw University of Technology was represented by Professor Robert Zalewski, the Vice-Rector for Student Affairs, and the Embassy of India in Warsaw by Madam Ambassador Nagma Mohamed Mallick. The meeting was also attended by the Rector's Plenipotentiary for International Cooperation in Student Affairs Professor Mirosław Szyłak-Szydłowski, the Director of the Centre for International Cooperation of WUT Mr Grzegorz Robak, the Second Secretary of the Embassy of India for Culture and Consular Affairs Mr Krishnendu Banerjee and Ms Monika Sharma, in charge of culture and education affairs.   

– I am very impressed by this event. I was pleased to see that there were not only a huge number of students from India, but also other Polish and international students and our university's employees, including the representatives of WUT's authorities and faculties. The meetings of this kind are the form of integration I care most about – integration by showing students' culture and customs. It was clear that the Indian community of our university had made a tremendous effort to present their culture in an impressive way. The representatives of the Embassy of India were also present in the event hall, which gave it even more prominence – I would like to express my appreciation for Madam Ambassador who was open to share knowledge about her country, explaining the linguistic nuances, as the people of India speak nearly 20,000 languages or dialects – said Professor Mirosław Szyłak-Szydłowski, by the Rector's Plenipotentiary for International Cooperation in Student Affairs. 

Madam Ambassador Nagma Mohamed Mallick answering questions. Photo by Piotr Szczepański.

In the first part of the meeting, the participants watched short videos and a presentation about India. They could also ask Madam Ambassador questions during the Q&A session. Student Ambassadors prepared the quiz about India. Five quiz participants with the highest scores and five students from India received gifts from the Embassy of India and the Centre for International Cooperation of WUT. In the second part of the meeting, Ms Ragini Nagar performed the traditional Indian Kathak dance. Ms Nagar is the Kathak dance teacher at the Embassy of India. The participants could also try Indian snacks.   

Ms Ragini Nagar, the Kathak dance teacher at the Embassy of India. Photo by Magdalena Bobryk.

The event was accompanied by the exhibition on the Good Maharaja. Thanks to his kindness and generosity, more than 1,000 Polish children who had been evacuated from the Soviet Union found shelter in India during and after the Second World War. One of the squares in Warsaw's Ochota district was named after the Good Maharaja as a symbol of Poles' gratitude. 

The Indian community at WUT has more than 240 students. Indian students are the third largest group of international students and the largest group of students studying in English, so it was very important to present their rich culture, beautiful costumes and delicious cuisine. 

– It was a pleasure to attend the India Day programme at Warsaw University of Technology. I was pleased to see the keen interest in India among international students and faculty members of WUT and to answer their many questions about India. We also displayed the Dobry Maharaja exhibition there that recalls an emotional and important link between the people of Poland & India that dates back decades but is not forgotten – said the Ambassador of India to Poland Ms Nagma Mohamed Mallick.

We would like to thank the Embassy of India and our Student Ambassadors from India for their tremendous support during the preparations for the meeting. We invite all participants to the next National Day meetings.