Bilateral and multilateral scholarships programmes |20 July 2021

Emminielle Elizabeth

In-service and pre-service candidates encouraged to seize opportunity to pursue studies

Under its bilateral and multilateral cooperation with many friendly countries, Seychelles is offered numerous scholarships every year.

Both mature in-service and pre-service candidates can avail of these opportunities to further their studies and boost their career development.

More details on these scholarships can be accessed on the Agency for National Human Resource Development (ANHRD) website at www.anhrd.gov.sc/scholarship

In collaboration with the ANHRD, Seychelles NATION is publishing a series of interviews with students who have been awarded scholarships to pursue their studies in different countries under the mentioned programmes. They share their experience and encourage other candidates to consider continuing their studies under these scholarship programmes.

In our first interview we talk to Emminielle Elizabethwho is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Geography.

‘For a student, life in India is very cost effective,’Emminielle Elizabeth

Question: Please tell us about yourself.

Emminielle: My name is Emminielle Elizabeth. I am 22 years old and I come from Au Cap. In my spare time, I enjoy doing sports. I am currently undertaking my studies for a Bachelor’s degree in Geography at the University of Delhi in India.

Question: What course are you studying?

Emminielle: The geography course that I am pursuing covers a wide range of subjects, from the physical to the human activities that occur in a country.

Question: What made you decide to choose India as a study venue?

Emminielle: To be honest, when I was making online applications to universities after having completed my studies at the School of Advanced Level Studies (Sals), I had a cousin who studied in India so I knew a bit about the procedure for studying there. Then I saw an advert for the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarship that was being offered by the government of India. I thought why not apply for the scholarship offer since there were not a lot of conditions attached to it.

Question: How did you find the application process for your scholarship?

Emminielle: All the procedures were done online and I had to follow the instructions and provide the information that was being requested such as copies of my school certificates which had to be attested by the Seychelles Qualifications Authority (SQA) and certificate of medical fitness, which are all requirements for most universities. Once I completed my application formalities, I was told to wait for the outcome to learn whether I had been successful or not in my application. Then, I received an email informing me that I had been chosen to pursue my studies in India. I then went to the High Commission of India in Seychelles for visa processing. It took only one day for my visa to be ready. Shortly after, I received my airfares and after that I bade farewell to my family. Upon arriving in India, I was met by representatives from the university who took care of me.

Question: Did you find it easy to adapt to the Indian culture?

Emminielle: I do not know if it is because we perceive the Indian culture to be the same as what we see from the Indian workers who come to work in Seychelles, but in reality their culture is very wide-ranging. There are so many different cultures here. However, in view of the fact that we are a country that depends on tourism, it was a bit easy for me to adapt. Therefore, it was not a big cultural shock for me because they have different religions and foods just like we do in Seychelles. There are also different dialects and not everyone speaks Hindi. Some speak only English. After one month, I was okay and had adapted to life in India.

Question: What were the main challenges for you?

Emminielle: The biggest challenge I had was adapting to life in a city after I had spent my whole life on an island. The population of India is a lot compared to Seychelles so I did not expect to encounter so many people during the course of one day. Therefore, this was a challenge for me, especially when I had to complete certain formalities such as going to the bank. You have to have a schedule and ensure that you stick to it in order to get things done. But such challenges make you become more independent and stronger as a person.

Question: Would you recommend India as a study venue to prospective students?

Emminielle: Personally, if I was to continue with my studies, I would prefer to do those in India. For a student, life in India is very cost effective and all the resources or things you require are readily available. Furthermore, there is a lot for you to learn in India such as the culture, the people and the country.

Question: Is there anything you would like to add?

Emminielle: There is no difference in securing a government of Seychelles scholarship or a bilateral scholarship to pursue your university studies.

At the end of the day you are getting a degree. In addition, while studying there, I have had the chance to meet students from different countries, from everywhere in the word and not just the African continent. You also get to learn many new things and become more independent.

My advice to prospective students is not to be afraid to pursue your studies via the different pathways and opportunities that are available to you.

Contributed by the ANHRD