Student Report MDI Fall 2013
University:
Management Development Institute (MDI)
Exchange semester:
Fall 2013
I GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
MDI (Management Development Institute) is located in Gurgaon not far from the capital of India; New
Delhi. The campus is a green oasis between the busy roads of Gurgaon. Gurgaon is one of the fastest
growing cities in India, and is home to global company headquarters and plenty of shopping malls. The
city is divided into sectors, MDI is in sector 17, and most of these have their own little market or
centre. Between the high rise buildings of big companies, Gurgaon is pretty rural, but with busy roads
so getting around by foot is practically impossible.
In the fall semester of 2013 we were approximately 28 exchange students enrolled in the post graduate
program, 250 students in total.
II PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before leaving Norway we received some information about the school from MDI, but it was quite
limited, just practical info like address and price of accommodations. MDI requested information on
our arrival date in order to prepare rooms and a buddy to show us around and help us get settled. They
also offered to arrange pick-up at the airport to make sure we made it safely to campus.
Visa
To go to India and study at MDI you need an Indian student visa. This must be applied for in Oslo
before your departure and it takes approximately 10-14 days. The Visa application office is called
TTServices and you do not have to go to the Indian Embassy. The school and the Indian government
demand that you obtain a residence permit at the Foreign Registration Office in Gurgaon within 14
days after your arrival in India, or else you have to pay a fine. Students at MDI helped us in that
process.
Academic Calendar
We attended the 5th semester at MDI (which equals the 3rd semester of masters at BI). The term started
on the 5th of September and ended with our last exam which was held on the 9th of December. Classes
go on till one week prior to the exam period. All exams are usually held during one week, in addition to
some group assignments. Mid-term exams are held during one week in the middle of the semester and
usually counts for approximately 20-30% of the final grade.
Reception
The pick-up from MDI arrived on time when we first arrived in India. During travelling we frequently
used pre-paid taxies from the airport that where even cheaper and less frustrating in terms of price
bargaining. Two of us arrived quite early, nearly one month before classes commenced and we spent
the time travelling. We were assigned an Indian buddy each, but getting in touch with them turned out
to be quite difficult so we looked around campus ourselves and asked around to get things fixed. The
Indian students were very helpful and you can ask anyone for help. The student from the IRC helped us
apply for the residence permit and guided us to the Foreign Relations Office. As two of us arrived
approximately one month before semester start, we were not able to register at the foreign registration
office within the two week period from arrival as the school would not issue the required
documentation of housing before we actually lived at school. This resulted in a fine of 1800 rupies.
Housing
All students at MDI are required to stay at campus. There are several hostels on campus for the
different programs and most of them are separate for girls or boys. Most exchange students were
placed in the same hostel, both girls and boys. In the hostel we stayed, two people shared a room and
every room had its own bathroom. However, some semesters boys and girls have been divided in the
girl and boys hostel, where there is shared bathrooms. The rooms cannot be compared to any European
standard and are very poorly equipped and dirty. There is a cleaning guy working on every floor,
cleaning your room every day when dust and pollution makes it necessary. The campus also has strict
rules regarding alcohol and gate closing times. It is not allowed to bring alcohol inside campus, and the
gates are closed between 11 pm and 5 am. However, everything is possible if you are a little creative.
Costs
Although there are expensive places to be found in and around Delhi, compared to Norway, India is
quite cheap and the student loan gets you a long way. The monthly expenses on exchange are the rent,
food and travel expenses. Books are paid when the classes start. Rent is approximately 7500Rs or
around 750NOK. MDI provides the students with course material and we paid in total 2500Rs or
250NOK for this. Food at campus is cheap. The mess serves three meals a day at very low rates (4-5
NOK), but the food is nothing like you find at Indian restaurants in Europe. We ordered a lot in, and
also bought some kitchen equipment to make simple food at the common room. Restaurant prices
outside campus vary, but it’s generally much cheaper than in Norway.
Travelling in India is cheap, trains, busses and domestic flights are very affordable. We travelled
almost every weekend, but it is worth mentioned that the university will lower the grade if you have
too much absence. Getting around in Gurgaon is easiest by auto-rickshaws (auto rickshaws can fit up to
four people and there are shared rickshaws which are even cheaper, but can get crowded). Getting to
the malls by a ‘private’ rickshaw costs around 80Rs.
The International Office (IRC)
The international relations committee (IRC) at MDI is run by students. IRC is in charge of assigning
buddies to the exchange students, help you get the residence permit in order and assists with additional
information during the semester. The IRC was very helpful and helped us sort out any problems
throughout the semester.
Exchange promotion
There was no such exchange promotion. But we also spoke to several interested students about how it
is to live and study in Norway at Bi, due to their interest about the country.
Social Activities
There are several social get-togethers arranged by the school during the semester. Among these are
‘Dandyia Night’, celebrating with traditional Indian dances and music, a student sports tournament and
other academically related activities and events during the semester. Most exchange students were very
social with each other, we had a lot of parties, and travelled a lot in groups.
Indians on campus are also very friendly and helpful, but they normally study a lot and don’t socialize
much outside of campus. You can also join many different groups run by students.
Culture and Language
Students and faculty members speak fluently English, but their pronunciation is heavily influenced by
Hindi and may be hard to understand in the beginning. Culturally India is very different from Norway.
Firstly the language barrier is there, and you have to accept that things take a lot of time so be patient.
Indians are generally very interested, curious and willing to help but you should also be aware that you
may be tricked so be prepared to bargain on prices. Also prepare for a lot of attention, some Indians
have never seen white skinned people and some might stop you asking to take a picture.
Cultural and Social Effects from the Exchange Experience
Being on exchange in India is a challenging but unique experience. Interacting with people so different
from yourself and living in a world so different teaches you a lot about others but mostly about
yourself. You learn how to handle different situations, your patience will improve and if you make the
effort you can learn some about business culture as well. India is one of the most interesting economies
in the world today and the experience you can get from studying there is very valuable. Even if your
intention isn’t to have a career related to India, you will benefit from the experience you get in dealing
with a new culture, with different people and settling in a new country and environment.
III ACADEMIC INFORMATION
The Teaching situation
Classes are thought in English although it sometimes can be hard to understand everything. Some
Indians speak very fast and their accent makes it even more challenging to follow so do not hesitate to
ask or ask again if something is unclear. The system also takes some time getting used to and the
academic content is sometimes quite different than what we are used to at BI. Most students at MDI
come from engineering background, so their skills in technical and mathematical issues are
overwhelming. We experienced that our background from BI which is broader worked in our
advantage as many of the cases are strategic and requires a broader view. Classes are both theoretical
and practically oriented with extensive use of cases and group work. The Indian students are generally
quite active in class while the exchange students are more quiet. Students are required to address
teachers by Sir or Ma’am, but the teachers generally more relaxed and easy to talk to. As an exchange
student at MDI not taking too many subjects, the work load is not overwhelming.
Required Literature
All lecture material was provided from MDI for a fee. Cases normally come from acknowledged
publications like the Harvard Business Review etc. And all in all we felt the amount of reading
required was less than at home. The exams are normally based on a mix of readings and topics
discussed in lectures.
Exams
We only had written exams, one mid-term and one end-term exam for all courses, both about two hours
long. In addition to exams there are quizzes, presentations and assignments to be handed in during the
semester. Exam and midterm is held one week, including Saturday and Sunday, and many courses have
an open book exam.
Other
Campus has a library and a computer centre which are open till late at night. The computer centre has
internet access and many available computers. All the communication between teachers and students
goes either trough e-mail and you are required to check it often. Also, a lot of information goes by
word of mouth and the Indian students are always willing to help you out. But there is huge lack of
information, for example; You have no idea when your midterm or exams starts, date or topic. If you’re
lucky you get the information before you actually supposed to be there.
Description of Courses
Course name:
Prereq.
Exam
Major at BI
Approved as
PGP-HR:
Learning and
development
None
Written
Int. Management/
Elective
Strategy/Marketing
Talent Management
None
Written
Strategy
Elective
None
Written
Int. Management
Elective
Psycometric Testing
& Measurement
Strategy/Marketing
Managing Across
Cultures
None
Written
Int. Management
Elective
Strategy/Marketing
PGPM:
Business Marketing
None
Written
Int. Management/
Elective
Marketing
Project Management
None
Written
Int. Management/
Elective
Strategy/Marketing
Enterprise systems
None
Written
Int. Management
Elective
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
Any other experiences:
All in all the exchange to India was one of the best experiences of our lives. We tried to travel as much
as we could. India is an incredible country to travel in, its cheap, everyone is ready to help you, the
culture and the people are amazing and you will get truly unique and fantastic experiences. Also you
will most likely end up with friendships lasting for a lifetime with other exchange students. To end
with; be ready for everything from monkeys, donkeys, sickness, dirt and pollution.