Tuesday, May 28, 2013

STUDY IN GERMANY IN SHAPING MY DESTINATION

Notes from my diary:
Study in Germany in Shaping my Destination

(2011: Published in the NEGAAS Newsletter) 
(NEGAAS: Nepal German Academic Association)  
(The author was in Germany for her higher education from 1989 to 1995)



I had got an opportunity to study Electrical Power Engineering with specialization in Automation Technology (AT) and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) from Dresden University of Technology in Germany from 1990 to 1995 under the DAAD (Deutsche Akademischer Austausch Dienst: German Academic Exchange Service) scholarship program. To my knowledge, I was the first Nepalese female student to have completed Master in Engineering from a German University.

Early Days in Germany:

Start of my student life in Germany was marked with struggles and confusion. I felt as if suddenly I were in the middle of Atlantic Ocean. First and the largest shock I felt was the cultural contrast. Grown up and trained in traditional Nepali culture and value system, I sensed that it would be impossible for me to adjust with such a sea change in culture and with such sharp contrast in value system.

Frankly speaking, after my initial observations and considerations, I had even packed my bag to return to Nepal, and gone to say goodbye to my advisor, whose two pieces of challenges or warnings forced me reconsider my decision, who then had said “If you run away without achieving your set goals, you are more likely to be unsuccessful lifelong in your subsequent endeavors as well”, and that “If you can’t digest the culture here, you don’t need to adopt it, take only part of what you like, ignore what you think is not acceptable for you, focus on your mission, achieve it, then return to your own world”. My advisor was obviously upset with my decision, because he had noticed that I was among the brightest students in the class.  In fact, he was so proud of me to see that I had mastered German language within three months of joining language classes and that he had recognized my distinct ability and appetite for studies.

My class was full of diversity not only in terms of geographical distribution, age group, religion, culture, language, etc. but also in terms of interests, priorities and goals. Some foreign students said they were there to have more relaxed and carefree life as they could not dream of enjoying such social liberties in their own countries, while some others were busy exploring ways and means for permanently settling there, or focused more on making money than on completing their studies. There was also sizable mixture of talent based foreign students, with the ones apparently based more on political credits than on pre-requisite academic capabilities and backgrounds. 

Being the lone Nepali student in the whole university, I had to travel to other cities when I wanted to talk to someone in Nepali. Writing letter was the main mode of communication to my family and friends in Nepal, which would normally take two weeks to a month. Making telephone call was costly affair, and was beyond affordable range to have regular communication, and could be considered only in case of emergencies or in urgent matters.

Some professors used to invite us in their home to celebrate their festivals. Such homely events were significantly joyful and they have continued to remain memorable moments.

While I was in Germany, Berlin wall was torn off by the waves of unification.

Later Years in Germany:

In later years, in parts of summer vacations, I worked as an interpreter and a translator in several language bureaus in Frankfurt, Berlin, Korbach, Nurnberg, etc, which not only provided me supplementary financial means to visit Nepal or other parts of Europe, but also helped utilize my language skill and explore various parts and aspects of Germany.
 
Casually, I once met a German family (Martin and Eleonore Fehr of Korbach), who, over time, became my very close friends. Even today, I am in touch with them.

While in Germany, I traveled to most of the countries in Europe with my rucksack, and taking rests at youth hostels to youth hostels. Such trips helped me grasp general view of larger parts of Europe. During such tours, wherever I visited museums, I was always fascinated by spectacular treasures of oil paintings.

Looking back today, it has been over fifteen years since I left Germany with my graduate degree, and 20 years since I first stepped in there. Compared to those days, I presume, remarkable changes have taken place in Germany, and is now the destination of ever increasing foreign students with dream of getting superior training in science, technology, medicine, management, culture, language, etc.

Work in Nepal After Graduation:

After much discussions and deliberations, Tribhuvan University finally certified my degree as equivalent to Master of Engineering.

I joined Nepal Electricity Authority and was assigned as an Electrical Engineer in the Kaligandaki “A” 144 MW Hydropower Project, where I got broad experience in project’s various aspects, working with professionals from Nepal, Germany, Japan, Italy, USA and Canada. In my private time, I also worked with SKAT (Swiss Centre for Development Cooperation in Technology and Management) for small and medium size hydropower development in Nepal.

Subsequently, I worked in UNDP as a District Energy Advisor in Parbat District, a remote part of western Nepal- which was not yet connected with national power grid, for micro hydro power development and for promotion of alternative energy technology and with the view to preserve environment. I moved back to Kathmandu and worked as Program Manager in the Engineering and Industrial Development Department of the United Missions to Nepal for some time.

Further Studies, International Work Experiences and Explorations:

In 1999, I joined City Net Organization (Regional Network of Local Authorities for Management of Environment and Human Settlement in Asia Pacific City) in Yokohama, Japan as an Assistant Program Manager, dealing with preparation of new program proposals, evaluating existing proposals, advising authorities on relevant issues of environmental and human settlement of Asian Cities, editing newsletter, making correspondences with member cities, etc.

Works at City Net Organization motivated me to explore further in the world of Environmental Engineering. Subsequently, I attended the University of Tokyo as a Foreign Research Fellow, and was involved in research of various alternatives to coal energy in developing countries, and in Tokyo Half Project - which aimed to reduce the Green House Gas Emissions by 50% within 10 years from the year 2000.

In February 2003, I joined NUS (National University of Singapore) for Master Degree in Environmental Engineering, and completed it in February 2005.

Since April 2005, I have been living and working in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam.

I have worked as a Senior Engineer and Environmental Specialist for a Japanese Engineering Consulting firm in the Saigon East-West Highway Construction Project, funded by JICA ODA Loan, activities of which includes construction of road, bridges, flyovers and interchanges, cut and cover tunnel, immersed tunnel, river slope protection works, etc. passing through the centre of the city and demanding focused Environmental attention. The Project applied the first ever immersed tunnel technology for construction of tunnel under the Saigon river, for which 4 immersed tunnel tubes of approximate length 100m, width 33m and height 9m were casted in a casting yard 22 km away from its sinking place, and whose towing and sinking in the river bed was completed around the middle of 2010.

Over the years, I have been inspired by the rich contemporary fine arts to such an extent that I could not resist in involving myself in it. By now, I have completed over 105 oil paintings on canvas in various themes, including still life, landscape, Buddha, portraits & abstracts. In near future, I am considering to display my paintings in an exhibition in Kathmandu.

Besides, I have recently published a book titled “Aamaka awismaraniya ateetharu ra ma” (mother’s unforgettable pasts and I), which is a perpetual and lively story of a mother - full of struggle, perseverance, deed, love, compassion, devotion, magnanimousness and eternalness. The book has been highly appreciated by all those who have gone through it. This has inspired me to work for the next book.

 I wish to conclude this note by recalling that my studies at Germany has not only trained me as an Engineer, but has also helped shape my destination by giving much needed insight and confidence to look into the life from magnificent perspectives, by encouraging to take challenges in life instead of give up or running away from it, and by giving vision for continued exploration and development of my latent potentialities and passions in life.










No comments:

Post a Comment