Bastian Wagner was an exchange student at IIM Udaipur from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) in Germany. Bastian shares his experiences being a part of the IIMU community.

Why did you choose to become an exchange student at IIMU?

I chose to become an exchange student at IIMU because I wanted to experience this big emerging market of India as after China, I found India was most interesting for me. In addition, some former exchange students in my university were of the opinion that I can experience the best culture at IIMU when I had choices between IIM Bangalore, IIM Indore, and IIM Udaipur.

Please tell us about your learning experience at IIMU? Did it help you to achieve your objectives?

There were two basic objectives involved and yes I was able to achieve both of them. My first objective was to learn about Indian culture and get to know the people of India which I achieved through interacting with Indian colleagues. The second objective I had in my mind was to learn more about management strategy. I learned a lot here as students and faculties possess a strong academic background here which overall increased my academic perspective. I was introduced to new authors and new sources of learning while I was here which we did not use in Germany. Overall, it helped me to get insights in different fields of management.

What is the difference between IIMU school system and the one in your home country?

There are two major differences I noticed between IIMU and my home country school. First and foremost IIMU is a concentrated management school while FAU that is my college in Germany has many courses. It does not strictly have only management students. You can study a lot and interact with non- management program students as well. Secondly, most of the people here have a strong working background while at my college this is not the case. Most of us do not have work experience before we join the program.

What is your best memory from attending school here?

There back in Germany, we have small groups but we do not have this big family that is living together. The best thing which I mentioned earlier, again I emphasize the community feeling with Indian students has been a great experience. Students are super friendly here and their welcoming attitude made me feel really nice and comfortable.

What is your favourite place in Udaipur and why?

I have travelled a lot in India and I have visited many palaces and forts around the country. I found  Udaipur’s city palace the most beautiful, nice and sophisticated. Standing amidst that architecture made me imagine how the kings and queens must have lived centuries ago. It was not just beautiful to see but also to experience it. I visited it in monsoon season which was even more fascinating.