Knowledge Must organises its summer programme Summer in India 2013 from 14th July till 10th August in Delhi. The programme consists of an exciting mix of Hindi language classes, academic seminars, skills training sessions, Delhi tours and weekend excursions.

India holds a very special place in our globalising world. It is not only home to every sixth human being on the planet, it is also the most culturally diverse country in the world. From high-tech industries in the megacities to remote jungle villages seemingly untouched by time, India encompasses both the dynamic forces of globalisation and the deep-rooted traditions of one of the world's most ancient cultures. Due to all this diversity, India is difficult to grasp.

Continue reading "India Summer Programme 2013: Studies in Indian Language, Culture and Society"

Garima Mohan is part of an international research team at Freie Universität Berlin working on Indian perceptions of the European Union. After a year in Berlin she came back to Delhi, her home town, for field work. During her 5 months stay, she decided to enrol in a One-to-One German language course with Language Must. In this interview, she talks about her research project, her experiences with German and why she believes it is a must for people living in Germany to pick up the language.

Continue reading "German Courses in Delhi: Experiences of a Berlin-based Indian Researcher"

When I was in the 11th grade of my school education, I went on a student exchange program to India with the German exchange organization YFU (Youth for Understanding). This is now about five years ago and though the Indian exchange program of YFU is growing and other exchange organizations have followed, I'm still asked very often “Why India?! I didn't even know that this is possible.” Yes, a student exchange program to India is possible, and it's definitively one of the best experiences of my life so far.

Of course, living as a 16-year-old Western girl in India for one year wasn't always easy. During my first weeks in India I was – quite frankly speaking – shocked. The first days I stayed with some other exchange students at the office of YFU in Delhi. It was the beginning of July, just before the monsoon, and thus very hot and humid. This alone was exhausting for us. But there was so much else: masses of people, often staring people, poverty, garbage, and a lot of different smells and noises. The language was different and even the Indian English was difficult for us to understand.

Continue reading "Student Exchange Program to India – Is That Even Possible?!"

All places in China are different, just as individual as the reasons for foreigners to study in China. Everyone is driven by different motifs and dreams, which might not all be satisfied in the same place. Before you are going to China, you should consider what you are interested in and what your reasons for going to China are. Diving into Chinese culture? Staying in a bubble of foreigners? Business career? Learning a new language? Eating "Szechuan" style all day? Living a cheap but comfortable lifestyle?

Continue reading "Choosing a City for Studying in China"

You are thinking about going abroad, studying away from home for a few semesters? You are considering China among your choices? You want to know more about your chances and opportunities in China, which problems and difficulties you will have to deal with? China is the place to be. China makes a great place to study. In the past few years the country has done well in improving the study conditions for foreigners, while the Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) offers more and more scholarships to students from abroad. Therefore the number of foreign students studying at Chinese universities has risen dramatically. But what is it that draws the interest of more than 250,000 foreign students annually to China?

Continue reading "Studying in China: Tips and Experiences"

My first contact with the German language was just two weeks before arriving in Germany. It was a crash course to pass an interview at the embassy. Finally, five years ago, I set my foot on the Teutonic lands and since this time my life has been undergoing big changes. If you are unlucky enough to have a passport from one of the post-Soviet Union countries, your world ends at the border to the next EU country. A round trip to Paris for ten days could be the biggest dream that you can afford. I was yet a naive girl and tried to live in Germany without knowing German for the next six months, but I was fortunate enough to learn English to get me by. Sure, I could have been getting by like this, but my destiny said "No!" and I soon found myself in a line to submit my application for a German course.

Continue reading "Learning German to Study in Germany - A Didactic Story "

I met Chichi in Porvoo, Finland. We were there as Erasmus exchange students. In the beginning I wondered how somebody from Asia can be an Erasmus exchange student. Only later I got to know that Chichi was actually raised in the Netherlands by her Chinese family. Being a Dutch girl of Chinese origins who studied in Europe, lately in Macau, and is now contemplating her next global career destination, she has many interesting insights to share with us.

Continue reading "Amsterdam, Macau, to the Rest of the World: An Interview with Chichi"

Jesús from Madrid, Spain, is a true devotee of everything Chinese. When he, with the help of a government grant, finally went to experience life among the Chinese people in Taiwan, he got hooked to the culture and now plans to build his career there. From starting out as a language student to working for national radio and lecturing at universities, in the five years since he made the move he never regretted his decision. Not least due to the high demand of native language teachers in Taiwan his future looks very promising. The enthusiasm he expressed in our interview will be an inspiration for many.

Continue reading "Building a Career in Taiwan: An Interview with Jesús Trapero"

When I arrived in India from the Netherlands for my internship it was Bipin who answered any question I had about Indian culture. For me, someone who has never been in India before, it was really nice to have someone who, as Indian, knows the Indian culture perfectly to help me explain things. Another reason why he knew so well how to help me was because he himself is also experienced in going abroad. So he knew exactly how you feel when you take the leap to study in a completely different culture. Since I was already curious about his experience in the UK I thought now would be the perfect time to interview him and share his experiences with you as well.

Continue reading "From India to Britain - A Year in Durham"

Ever thought about picking up a new language but not too sure about which language to learn? German could be the right choice for you, whatever your background or your plans in life. There are numerous arguments that speak for learning German language, especially if you already know how to use English. What makes it difficult for many language learners to successfully learn a new language is the initial effort needed to build up a solid basis of vocabulary and grammatical understanding. English and German both being Indo-Germanic languages and having lots of interaction throughout history, you will be surprised at the many similarities you will be able to detect between the languages.

Continue reading "Komm und Lerne Deutsch - German Language Gets You Ahead"

We are happy to announce the publication of our new guidebook ‘Study in India - A Guide by Knowledge Must’, which is available for free download from our website at www.knowledge-must.com/guidebooks. We made it a point to cover all important aspects of studying as a foreigner in India. Life for international students will be so much easier once they figured out the logistical requirements and the Indian cultural environment. In addition to answering the most pressing questions, the guide features valuable insights ranging from logistics such as visa procedures and accommodation arrangements to cultural background information and inspiration for how to spend one's leisure time.

After the success of the guidebooks 'Internships in India' and 'Volunteer in India', this is the third of a series of guides that we publish to help students, graduates, and professionals realise their international ambitions and make their life easier. Next will follow a guide about 'Work in India', which is currently under production.

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As a result of stronger ties between Germany and India, cultural relations between the two countries have found new impetus drawn from a longer tradition of German-Indo cultural exchange. Foreign cultural policy experiences multiple incentives and support on both sides, which makes it useful to establish sustainable structures of cultural dialogue. However, a number of factors could be listed to shed light on the still asymmetrical nature that marks cultural relations between India and Germany. Among them are: different conceptions of foreign cultural policy, different stages of the respective art industry and cultural infrastructure, a historically determined imbalance of financial and infrastructural resources and the sheer ignorance in the way both countries have perceived the other.

Continue reading "Tradition and Departure - Cultural Relations between India and Germany"

Kung fu (功夫, in Mandarin Chinese pronounced as gong fu), the popular term for Chinese martial arts, is a notion that conjures up mystical masters living in misty mountains and awe-inspiring artistic movements. Even in the rapidly modernising China of today one can find this cliché real and alive. One protector of this treasure trove of traditional Chinese culture is Master Li Quan (师傅李全). Born in Heilongjiang Province in the far north-eastern reaches of China, Master Li Quan has been a student and teacher of Chinese kung fu for more than 25 years.

Continue reading "Master Li Quan - Cultivating Kung Fu Traditions in Sichuan’s Chengdu"

To gather life experience, more and more students all over the world decide to learn other languages, study or work in other countries, and travel abroad. During our university lecture tour from 17.05.2010 to 02.06.2010 at eight different German universities we were thrilled by the high numbers of international students attending our lecture “India: A New Destination for Career Fulfilment”.

Reflecting on academic experiences and the question how to utilise their education for an international career, students around the Western world now look towards new geographical directions to seek career fulfilment. More and more India is becoming a focus point for ambitious individuals pursuing their studies there, doing an internship or joining the Indian labour market after graduation.

Continue reading "India is Calling – Kick-Start Your International Career"

Going abroad as a part of the curriculum has become more and more common and is nowadays a key distinguishing factor in your CV. Most European students choose to stay inside Europe thanks to the Erasmus programme or go to North America, but others prefer to leave the beaten track and travel to more challenging parts of the world, in order to discover a new way of life, learn a foreign language, and experience by themselves what global diversity is.

Continue reading "Experience Syria - Cultural Immersion in the Arab World"