WINNER ALL THE WAY

It was excitement mixed with anticipation for Anwesha Kundu when she stepped into the US consulate for her visa application. She came out a few hours later, a broad grin on her face. Kundu, who wished to pursue her PhD in modernism from Washington University, was among the lucky six to have received her visa papers from consular general Craig Hall on Student Visa Day.

The day-long programme at the US consular offices across five cities in the country, including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, gave the applicants an opportunity to interact with each other and learn about their destination colleges and universities.

"People-to-people ties are the foundation of the US-India partnership and the relationships that students studying in the US make with their new American friends and colleagues will shape the future of the bilateral partnership," the consular general said.

The interaction was followed by a brief address by Greg Pardo, assistant public affairs officer, who shared experiences of his college days in Texas and congratulated the students on their achievements. Hall, who wrapped the session with a ceremonial cake-cutting, also wished the students luck and assured them of all assistance.

An orientation programme was held the following week at the American Center, where eight panellists, including Pardo, answered queries about the academic, social, and cultural life in the US. While Aniket De, a graduate in history and anthropology from Tufts University, spoke about the weather conditions and security concerns, both on and off-campus, Erica Diya Basu, a PhD candidate at American University's School of Communication, gave insights into campus housing and food habits in the US.

Ushasi Kar, who plans to get her degree in architecture from State University of New York, was worried about luggage norms and wished to carry kitchen items with her. Her worries, however, were put to rest when vice-consul Samantha Jordan told her that she need not carry crockery or cutlery with her and that she would find everything tailored to her needs in New York.

The number of Indian students studying in the US in 2015 saw a sharp increase by almost 30 per cent, from the previous year, ensuring that the US remains the preferred international higher education.