The students of Chowgule College in Sweden
As part of its annual cultural exchange programme with Sweden, 13 students along with four faculty members from Chowgule College visited Sodra Latin Gymnasium, Tullinge Gymnasium and Tumba Gymnasium, high schools in Sweden. During their two week stay in Sweden students were introduced to various aspects of the country and were able to get a peek into the local lifestyles of the people in Sweden.
The Student exchange programme was started in the year 2008 with the aim to provide opportunities for students in the two countries to get an insight and understand each others culture, traditions and lifestyles. As a part of this programme, a few months back Chowgule College hosted a similar delegation of students and faculty from three high schools of Sweden – Tullinge Gymnasium, Tumba Gymnasium and Sodra- Latin Gymnasium. While here in Goa, the Swedish students spent time with the students of Chowgule College and learnt about the culture and traditions of the region.
While on their trip to Sweden, the students of Chowgule College had a wonderful time experiencing the cultural, cuisine, academic and social aspects of the country. From attending regular classes at the schools to visiting places of historical and cultural importance, and sampling the local cuisine, the two week stay was packed with interesting activities. The students visited Skansen Museum which is the first open museum and zoo in Sweden, Vasa Museum which is a maritime museum in Stockholm and explored the beautiful city. Students also had an opportunity to be part of a home-stay programme where batches of students lived along with a Swedish family. The students also were a part of dance classes, folklore programmes, sports and other student activities. With an attempt to understand the social lifestyle of the people, the students were taken to the City Hall where they got the opportunity to interact with diplomats and city authorities from Sweden.
Dr. E. M. Travossos, Vice Principal, Parvatibhai Chowgule College who accompanied the students to Sweden said “It was a pleasure having the students and faculty from the educational institutes from Sweden visit us a few months ago and be a part of the Chowgule College family. The institutes extended the same warmth and affection to our students while in Sweden. Learning the cultures of other developing nations and providing knowledge and an insight into ours is something which is very important for students.”
Said Dr. R. V. Gaonkar, Principal, Parvatibai Chowgule College, “We at Chowgule College, lay a lot of emphasis on creating a wholesome experience and broadening the vision of students. Student exchange programmes really help students from both countries get a better understanding of the culture and lifestyle. It is very important that students are exposed to the culture of other nations.”
The student exchange programme is an initiative of the Students Support Service set up at Chowgule College, which aims at providing all round development to the student. Besides the student exchange programmes, the college is also the only college to have the only Writing Centre in the country. Other facilities provided by the Student Support Service include Personal Grooming and Career Counseling, Center of Portuguese Learning and Culture ( CPLC) and Business English Certificate among others.