Final Reflections on the Journey

            For me the trip to India was an insight into a part of the world and its people which was entirely new to me.  Going literally to the other side of the world brought me in contact with people who were warm, gracious and hospitable to a degree I had hardly ever experienced in my life.  From our visits to colleges and universities to our visits to companies like Deere and Rockwell-Collins to sharing a meal in with an Indian family in their home to attending mass in the dark at 6:00 in the morning in a parish church in Hyderabad, all of it left me with a sense of a people with an ancient and rich culture.  The trip also showed me both the high-powered hi-tech centers of densely populated urban areas to the countryside where people were living in make-shift housing much as they have been for centuries.  The contrast between wealth and poverty were stark.  The energy of the people was palpable, and their pride in their culture and history was evident wherever we went.
            For us, the possibilities of joining with various groups in India appear great.  I was heartened to see us take some steps with several institutions of higher education which will, in time, provide for student exchange and potential collaborations by faculty on research topics of mutual interest.  Dave and I greatly appreciated Arun’s cultural sensitivity and insights which helped us in our conversations at every point and, I’m sure, prevented us from making many unintentional cultural missteps.
            All of this seems to me to take us one step closer to being a university where the sense of the wider world will grow stronger each year, a place where our students, indeed all of us, can become more aware of the global village we all inhabit.
            India, and these two weeks, will remain with me for a very long time.

Arun: Left Moline for India on March 7th, just about fourteen days ago. Journeyed through New Delhi, Hyderabad, and Pune before returning back to New Delhi to take flight back to the US. As I look back, days moved fast, appointments and places blurred into each other; it felt good to meet colleagues and strengthen existing relationships, and also feel the promise and prospect of new and exciting next steps for the College of Business and SAU. We are beginning to understand the role of US-India educational cooperation frameworks and the work of facilitating institutions, and we glimpsed modern India in motion.

The last two weeks saw a great push forward on SAU's India agenda. As I review our trip two things come to my mind: Consolidation and Platform for Growth. We signed an MOU with St. Francis College consolidating the groundwork done by our Center for International Education and COB in the last couple of years. We undertook significant discussions with University of Hyderabad and FLAME School (Pune) for study abroad, research, and other scholarly exchanges. The discussions with varied institutions, regulators, and US companies in India can be platforms for future growth.

On a different note, I feel a great relief too. What were Sr. Joan and Dave thinking, coming with me to India? Well, they were thinking: food, customs, protocol, heat, food, hovering helpers, saying no, bottled water, autorickshaws, traditions, blog, right-of-way on city streets, buffaloes on Cyberabad roads, heat, traditions, and did I mention food and heat? The differences in culture, weather, traditions, educational practices, and protocols made for some interesting situations. Overall, I am glad that Sr. Joan and Dave had fun too on the trip.

I write these comments on Sunday morning, Delhi time.

Last night we arrived, tired from the day's travel from Pune.  I mutter, wrestling to get the internet service to work in this comfortable hotel. I look out the 5th-floor window. A man stands in his underwear 100 feet away on the roof of the next-door building. Since it is not Bathsheba, I look again and see laundry drying in the hot Delhi sun. Five floors below and across the street another man walks along a row of nicely potted plants in his courtyard behind a tall masonry wall.

The College of Business strategic road map lies on the window-side desk next to this computer: Strategic Issue II: Foster Global Awareness and Skills....Students will be prepared to be effective professionals in a global environment.

Breakfast. I visit with a man from Portugal. Working out of a German office, he manages several manufacturing operations, including one here in India. He talks about the wonder of this country. He talks about the quality of his product, with tolerances measured by the micron. He speaks about corporate settings where a worker of one caste might supervise another of an upper caste; a complicated situation.

Much of our trip has been in a prosperous and modern slice of the nation. We have had meetings in  sparkling facilities with gracious professionals. We dined with a warm and welcoming family. We have seen enough to know we have also touched down in a land in which the economic contrasts are huge, yet the middle class is expected to double in the coming several years.

While this journey was lived by just a few of us, may we learn from and alongside the people of India. May the story belong to many.

A Tale of Indian Hospitality: Dinner with Amrit and his Family

Amrit with his Family
[Right to Left: Amrit, his wife Kritika, their daughter Dolphin, and Neelam (ABE 2010 student)]

On March 12th, we left New Delhi for Hyderabad where, upon arrival, we were greeted by (Dr.) Sister Alphonsa Vattoly, Principal of St. Francis College for Women, and Mr. Amrit Talreja, the coordinator of exchange activities of St. Francis College for Women with SAU.  Sister Alphonsa had visited SAU in Summer 2010 when four of her students attended the inaugural "American Business Experience" (ABE) at SAU. Both of them greeted us warmly with beautiful bouquets of flowers to welcome us to Hyderabad.

This far south in the country we experienced 'high summer' with temperatures in the mid-90's.  Our hotel, in central Hyderabad was just 15 minutes from St. Francis College and would be our 'staging area' for the next four days. 

On the first evening, to our delight, we were invited to experience Indian hospitality in Amrit's home where we would meet three generations of his family.

Upon arrival, we met Amrit's family living together in a beautiful home which he designed himself using his background as an architect. 

His mother, sister and two brothers live together in a four-story home designed, decorated and furnished in an elegant Indian style.

After greetings, we settled in for the first of three rounds of what would be ultimately 21 courses of Indian cuisine. 

Over the next few hours we shared stories of our families including the opportunity to see a family photo album.  In the picture below, you can see (Left to Right) Amrit, Dolphin, Kritika, Sr. Alphonsa, Sr. Joan, Neelam, Dinesh, and David O'C) viewing the family photo album.

Dolphin (Amrit & Kritika's daughter) Takes a Sip

The entire evening wrapped us in sense of gracious hospitality which ended in an exchange of mementos.  How fortunate we were to be welcomed into an Indian home!  It will be one of our lasting memories.

John Deere in Pune

For those of us from the Midwestern U.S.  "John Deere" means many things. It is a strong and important presence in the Quad Cities, with the world headquarters just several miles from the St. Ambrose campus. It is dealers sprinkled across the heartland. It is many wonderful students in our classrooms.

With a presence in 160 countries and 43 manufacturing facilities worldwide, Deere is also a major global company. Our initial conversations about John Deere in Asia were facilitated by Mr. Jim Field, John Deere's Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

We Pass By One of the Many High-Tech Facilities in the Area

Yesterday we visited with Mr Ranjit Nair, Managing Director and CEO, John Deere India Pvt. Ltd.  Some 5,000 people are now employed by John Deere India, and a commitment was recently made to invest $100 million in a new manufacturing facility in the country.

The Deere technology center is located in a booming high-tech section of Pune graced with many modern office buildings.

One striking insight from our conversation with Mr. Nair: there is absolute commitment to the John Deere values as they conduct business around the world.

As a point of interest, one of our St. Ambrose Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) students has recently returned to the U.S. after a year-long post in an HR capacity in this region.

A FLAME in the Desert

On Thursday we traveled to the Foundation for Liberal and Management Education (FLAME) . Just as the College of St. Francis differed from the University of Hyderabad, FLAME differed from them both.

Our trip through Pune was the most intense of them all so far: a constant game of chicken waged with oncoming cars. We were in a scene from 'Vanishing Point.' With a frequently blowing horn and an alarmingly close call with a pedestrian, it was a blessing to exit the city and begin winding through the nearby hills.

Mr. Parag Shah, with Sister Joan Lescinski

Many switchbacks later I looked to the left to spy the only golf course I have seen in our two weeks in India. And several turns later we drove onto the campus of FLAME.

The school, only a few years old, is the fruit of a dream of the founder and chairman, Mr. Parag Shah who wished to establish an institution based on a foundation in the liberal arts, much like many small and mid-sized colleges and universities in the United States, including SAU.

We were welcomed and hosted very graciously. We were particularly struck by their Discover India Project which includes months of preparation prior to an 8-day field trip to a distant community in India. Student teams put to use their training in anthropological research methods and live on a modest budget for several days. We saw some impressive team reports that captured their new insights, fruits of the classroom and in-field experiences.

As we toured the campus by golf cart it was clear that the buildings and landscaping have been beautifully done by a famous Indian architect.
The dry heat, blue sky and surrounding earth tones of the countryside brought back found memories of the Southwest of the U.S.

Throughout the day-long visit, we came to appreciate the mission and vision of the school which led us to initial explorations of possible collaborations for faculty and student exchanges. 

A Complete Explanation of Higher Education in India

Ready? In the next few lines I will explain completely how higher education works in India.

Not.

Can't do it, at least not yet.

The education system is complex and wide-ranging, with institutions of all sizes and shapes. In India, just as in in the United States, one must constantly ask, "Is this quality?" "How does it run?" "What is the reputation?"

In some cases there may be reason for concern, but not at the University of Hyderabad. An enrollment of about 5,000 includes nearly 900 Ph.D. students.

We were hosted by Dr. Vinod Pavarala who is the Dean of the School of Arts and Communication, and by Dr. Aparna Rayaprol who directs the Study in India Program (SIP), attended by 4 St. Ambrose students last summer.

Some of the communication and fine arts facilities were brand new, and, as we learned, constructed of a particular kind of stone that aids in regulating the temperature.

No, Toto, we are not in Iowa: these buildings have no heating systems.

  



The Pro Vice Chancellor Receives the St. Ambrose Seal



First, we toured this building and were treated to Indian music, dance, painting and sculpture all done by graduate students:  truly beautiful. 

Then, we moved to another section of this sprawling, 2,300-acre campus to a meeting with a number of the school deans and the pro vice-chancellor (think 'vice president for academic affairs') where we shared the reason for our visit and saw an excellent overview of this outstanding research university dedicated to graduate education.  The U of H ranks among the top universities in India with faculty producing over 10,000 research papers, including over 600 books, in the last 30 years.

After lunch with some deans, we traveled to the School of Management Studies to meet with their faculty.  We presented an overview of SAU and our interest in global education.  A lively discussion followed which gave us a number of ideas for future collaboration.

From there, we left for the airport to fly that evening to our final destination, Pune, a city of more than 5 million.

Rockwell Collins in India

            On Tuesday afternoon we found ourselves in heart of Cyberabad (yes, that really is its name), the bustling high-tech section of the Hyderabad area where the pace of construction was almost dizzying:  everywhere we looked cranes dotted the skyline and huge modern buildings housed the likes of major firms like Google, Microsoft and Tata Consultancy Services. They also housed the huge numbers of technology employees who work in this area.

For more on the story and look of Cyberabad, click on this site: Cyberabad.

           

Our destination was the ultra modern building where Rockwell Collins (RC) has its India headquarters.  Typical of what we have found in a culture which has been victimized by terrorism, we needed to pass through several layers of security, including having sent copies of our passports and visas to them the day before.  But when all of that was finished, we were ushered into a completely modern office space housing more than 280 high-tech workers, up from just 29 two years ago.  And the expansion, we learned, is barely halfway to the 500 workers expected by October of this year.

Sister Joan Presents Presidential Pen to Mr. Ram Prasad

            Ram Prasad, Director of Rockwell Collins India, shared with us the vision that RC has for its India division.  Rapid growth is expected in Asia (India is projected to pass China in the next decade or so to become the most populous nation in the world), and RC intends to make use of the highly educated and young work force which already characterizes parts of India. 

We discussed possible connections with St. Ambrose and the kind of programs we might offer, and then we met with Mr. MKR (Ram) Prasad, Managing Director whom Arun knew through one of our DBA students in Cedar Rapids where RC has a presence.  Mr. Sastish Kuman Sastry and Mr. N.N. Rao, managers of major tech areas for the company, explained the structure and staffing of the facility. We also made a presentation on St. Ambrose in general, and the College of Business in particular. Our hours with them passed quickly, and we left with some ideas for future collaborations.

 We have commented on traffic during our stay in India -- the speed, the density, and the autorickshaws.

Yet on our way out of Cyberabad we had yet another of those experiences that seems unique to India:  the clash of centuries in the space of a few blocks. While we have discovered much common ground in our many visits with folks in India, we still find ourselves gauging the familiar against our everyday experience in Davenport. Our "normal" is neither right or wrong, but it is put to the test on a daily basis.

Our Meeting with the Administrator of the Archdiocese of Hyderabad

   Tuesday brought our visit to Father Benard, the Administrator of the Archdiocese of Hyderabad. Father Bernard, who temporarily leads the Archdiocese as they await the installation of their new Archbishop, welcomed us warmly and gave us the opportunity to share the reason for our being in the Archdiocese, namely, the formalization of our exchange agreement with St. Francis College for Women. 

Accompanied by their Principal, Dr. Sister Alphonsa Vattoly, we presented the introductory letter to the Archdiocese from our Bishop, His Excellency, Martin Amos.  As has been our experience throughout this trip, he affirmed our steps to this point in forging ties with institutions in India.

An Historic Visit to St. Francis College for Women: the Signing of our First MOU in India

A Post From Sister Joan
    

Following our visit to the American Consulate, we set off for what was to be an historic highlight of our visit so far.  Arun, Dave and I wove our way through the dense Hyderabadi traffic to St. Francis College for Women where we were warmly greeted by the Principal (President/CEO), Sister Alphonsa Vattoly, the Sister of Charity who visited our campus in May 2010 as part of the inaugural American Business Experience (ABE) Program.  The next few hours introduced us to the various constituencies of the College:  faculty, staff, Board of Management (Trustees), and, most importantly, students and their parents.

     Our first meeting, with the trustees, immediately set the positive and inspiring tone for the day with a meaningful prayer led by the Chair of the Board and Provincial Superior, Sister Mary Kuriakose, (Sister of Charity) in which she blessed our time together and prayed that we all might deepen our relationship for the good of all concerned, especially our students.  Discussion then followed with the trustees as we explored both the history of how we came to this moment and ideas for future collaborations. 

Sister Alphonsa then invited about a dozen senior faculty to join us for the historic signing of the MOU which formalized our exchange agreement.  I  felt a surge of both pride and accomplishment that the work of so many, especially Professor Arun Pillutla and Dr. Ryan Dye (Director of our Center for International Education), over the past three years had led to this moment. 

After the formal signing ceremony a special moment followed in which I had the privilege to present the Seal of the University medallion to the Chair of the Board.  It was at that time, as I mentioned our namesake, St. Ambrose, that we discovered that the Motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity (an Italian congregation) was located in Milan today:  a providential sign!

       In the afternoon we spent several pleasant hours with presentations by both St. Ambrose and St. Francis.  I gave a brief introduction to SAU; Dean Dave O'Connell followed with an excellent PowerPoint highlighting the University Mission and, in particular, and mission and programs in the College of Business.  Arun followed with a presentation of ABE 2010 highlights.  We were privileged to have in the audience all four of the students who had attended the inaugural ABE Program at SAU in May/June 2010.  They had proven to be our best ambassadors to others upon their return; this has led to the delightful outcome that we have more than doubled the number of students whom we are expecting for the Summer 2011 ABE Program.

    

 For their part, St. Francis charmed us with a beautiful musical multi-part rendition of the Prayer of St. Francis. 

Later in the program two students treated us to a graceful Indian dance whose theme was "Women's Empowerment."  Arun explained that the dance manifested the many aspects of women's experience today; righteous anger, determination, love and the strength to change the world through their work in both raising the next generation and affecting the world outside the home.   The ending of the dance embodied what it means today to be a 'modern woman.'  I felt tears come to my eyes as I watched these two young women put into dance the aspirations of women throughout the world.

     At the end of the presentation we had the joy of embracing our four 'alumnae' and of meeting many of the 10 or so young women and their parents who are applying for a place in the ABE 2011 Program. 

The students' excited was palpable, and the parents, like parents everywhere had their fears allayed as we discussed what it would mean for their daughters to be among us at SAU this summer.

     Finally, we said our 'goodbyes' to all at St. Francis, and we left them with a sense of joy that this day would be remembered as an historic day in the life of both our institutions.

    

    

Our Visit to the American Consulate to Start an Historic Day

     Today, Monday, March 14, marked one of the highlights of our journey for which we had prepared over the last three years. 

Arun, Dave and I set off this morning first to meet with our Consul General in Hyderabad.  There are several consulates in India, including this one in Hyderabad, opened two years ago.  Such a presence indicates the growing importance and size of an area like Hyderabad. 

We had the good fortune to meet directly with the Consul General for Hyderabad, Ms. Katherine (Kathy) Dhanani with whom we shared the story of our relationship with St. Francis College and sought her advice and counsel. 

She, along with her out-going Public Affairs Officer (Juliet Wurr) and in-coming PAO (Elizabeth Jones), affirmed both their strong regard for St. Francis College and positive encouragement to us to continue along the path we had started with them. Levels of security for the Consulate were evident everywhere. 

While on the one hand it may have seemed a bit inconvenient, on the other hand we greatly appreciated the need for such security in times like ours in a post-911 world.

Hyderablog Part 2 -- Chaminar and the Golconda Fort

A Blog Post by Dave

On Sunday morning, after breakfast in the hotel, we headed of to experience what tells us are must-see features of the city: Chaminar and Golconda Fort.



Glad to be shepherded by Amrit and two drivers once again, and conducted in two vehicles he arranged for us, we travelled first to a striking 4-sided archway crowned with minarets, Chaminar.


The structure was laid out by Muhammad Quil Qutb Shah in 1591. It is said to commemorate the elimination of a plague from the area. It is also reported that on this spot, before the structure was built, Muhammad Quil Uutb Shah had prayed for the end of the plague, vowing to build a mosque in the place where he prayed.

The name - Charminar is said to be made from two words that mean "4 minarets."

While captured by the enormity and complexity of this massive structure with a strong Muslim heritage, Arun points out this -- at the bottom of the photo directly above, and more clearly in the photo below....

...is a small Hindu shrine right alongside the face of Chaminar, aptly symbolic of the complex religious fabric of this part of the world where the languages of Hindi, Urdu and English are spoken alongside, or even intermixed, with another tongue native to this area -- Tegulu.

Above, Arun appears to have a moment of enlightenment as he stands with Sister Joan and Sister Alphonsa of St. Francis College.

The ancient structure of Charminaris right alongside shops,  and vendors of various types.

And this was also one location where we were approached by folks, some who appeared to be in dire circumstances, hands outstretched for money. The needs seemed real, and were stretched by the desire to help and the concern that a foreigner handing out money on the street might not, for a variety of reasons, always be a good thing.

But we had no problems at all, and I remained amazed by the diversity of people -- in color, dress, activity and language in this area. While there was plenty of activity, Amrit pointed out that this was a fairly quiet part of the day, and that the many vendors on the street would grow in the coming hours.

Then Arun headed back to the hotel to do more of his constant work arranging for meetings that are critical to our productive appointments while in India. Sister Joan, Sister Alphonsa and Dave headed out to see another amazing sight in Hyderabad -- Golconda Fort.

Golconda Fort

The massive structure stretches up the hill, and is filled with the story of the power required to build this amazing fort.

The story of curtain wall, designed to obscure the entrance from potential invaders...

...the stone archways and retaining walls...

...the interior retaining walls and corridors, were well- explained by our animated and very informative guide for the tour



And, to see Golconda fort up close involves stairs, more than 780 of them.



Sister Alphonsa and Sister Joan on the climb, watched over by our constant guardian angel, Amrit

Amrit is a trained architect, so I asked him what features amazed him the most about this place. Overall he found it a wonder to see the true, straight walls put together with no mortar. He explained how difficult it is to build such extremely heavy walls that stand the test of time.

As we climbed the many steps, we paused to overlook the greenery, water retention tanks, and places of worship that make this place a marvel.

Our descent involved a little off-road journey, where our guide, and Amrit provided assistance on the rocky terrain.