I used to read a lot of books when I was younger and loved reading and listening to stories. As a child, I would sit with my grandmother and listen to her narrate stories for hours. After my grandmother passed away, stories held a special place in my heart. When an Indian Short Stories course was offered in the first year as an elective, I jumped at the chance to rediscover my passion for stories.  When I signed up for the course, I expected that we would read different kinds of stories and discuss them. What I did not expect, however, was for it to change my entire perspective about stories. This course has allowed me to see the social aspects that authors address through their stories. One example of this would be partition literature, in which authors addressed the challenges faced by different kinds of people during the time of the India-Pakistan partition. It made me understand that stories are like vessels that carry experiences. One story that I found particularly interesting was, ‘The Sound of Falling Leaves’ by Qurratulain Hyder. The story, which was about how a young Muslim woman dealt with the hardships she faced during the time of partition.  Throughout the semester, as we read many stories of different genres, I understood how to read closely and look for the details in the stories – the details that help us understand the characters better or explore what the author strives to say through the story. Earlier when I read a story, it was just a storyline and characters. I would almost never think about the author or what exactly the author might be trying to express. After taking up this course, however, I learnt that there are finite details in a story that bring out the essence of the author as well as the message that is being conveyed by the author.   As this course involved quite a lot of interaction, discussing the characters and themes of the stories we read helped me learn so much. Reading the story before class and during class, sitting together and discussing our thoughts about the story as though we were in a book club – these aspects of how the course was conducted made it all the more enjoyable. Indian Short Stories also gave me many different perspectives. I understood that we can either look at an entire story or analyse every single line of a story separately. The fact that one simple line in a piece of literature can be interpreted in completely different ways is another major insight that I took away from this course. So many things in the world were right in front of me but I had been blind to them, but not anymore, thanks to this incredible course called Indian Short Stories.

With innovative and interesting teaching models emerging day by day, team teaching is now being pursued to make the classroom space dynamic and all encompassing. In a liberal education setup , when students are encouraged to take up courses across disciplines and indulge in Active Learning, team teaching is one such means to the end. So, what is Team Teaching and what does this mode of education entail? Let us dive right in! Team Teaching, an idea that perfectly complements the nature of a collaborative classroom, ideally means more than one teacher or professor collaborating towards one course for the same group of students. In team teaching, a group of teachers, work and plan class activities and evaluate students on an integrated level. Team teaching brings to students the ideas and potentials of many thought leaders towards courses that require a holistic perspective. Here are some of the reasons for why team teaching will benefit students: Enhance student learning: In a team-teaching system, the expectations of one professor may be different from another. However, the sheer variations in this system will enable a student to learn subjects from different angles. Students benefit by enjoying better retention of ideas, diversity, better interpersonal skills etc. Their learning outcomes will be vastly influenced by a convergence of strong teaching voices towards their subject. The combination of team teaching and active learning working in synergy is bound to benefit students for life. A multidisciplinary focus on the curriculum: With global challenges increasing by the day, a course material that is specifically engineered towards the future also needs expert handling. A liberal education system will focus on providing courses that tackle the Big Problems of today and tomorrow. As a result, through team teaching, thought leaders who are experts from their fields, take part in shaping the dissemination of that curriculum. Each of these aspects of the course material gains focus on this system. Due to the multitude of teachers, no part of the curriculum is left without attention. Build connections across disciplines: The foundation of a liberal education system is based on the interwoven nature of disciplines across courses. Team teaching enables teachers from other disciplines to impart their specific knowledge to students. This method of working across disciplines by shining light on what the students need, is what team teaching is all about. Team teaching builds connections across disciplines for both students and teachers across the board. Paves way for a global classroom: Thanks to the pandemic, Zoom lessons are dime a dozen these days. Using technology, teachers from across the world who are proven educators in their chosen field will now have access to classrooms spanning thousands of kilometres. A professor in USA and Europe can impart their skills to a student in India, thanks to the team-teaching idea. This progressive and radical ecosystem will pave way for a global classroom in the true sense. Better teacher-student relationship: Team teaching creates a smoother and collaborative ecosystem for the students in a classroom. By being taught by multiple teachers from different points of view and in different formats, students are exposed to various new ideas. The novelty of team teaching by itself makes a classroom more engaging and interesting. The interpersonal relationship in a team-taught classroom is cordial and exciting and leads to more attention given to students as well. As we move towards a more radical liberal education system, it becomes that much more crucial for us to embrace and accept new methods of teaching and learning. Teaching is a dynamic and corrective process while learning is evolutionary and pathbreaking. Team teaching is a system that aims to bridge gaps in knowledge transfer and benefit both the teacher and the student.

Young and ambitious students leave high school and walk into the portals of universities with myriad hopes, goals, and aspirations. As with any life change, this phase can be challenging and at the same time exciting at every step of the way. While some students adapt quickly, others are overwhelmed by the changes and challenges. Here are a few tips to make university life enjoyable and memorable. Asking for help is a sign of strength.  While it is necessary to learn how to be self-dependent, there is no shame in asking for help and seeking guidance, advice, and coaching to navigate unknown terrains easily. It will also save time by helping to avoid possible mistakes that others have made before. Parents, professors, friends, or an expert on campus are there to help and provide support. Preparation helps survive life-altering changes, and proper guidance can go a long way in making transitions easier.  Deriving strength from failures.   Everyone goes through their share of failures, but how to face them without getting discouraged is what matters. Every failure is an opportunity to learn lessons and move on to a position of strength. Instead of brooding over failures, it is essential to learn to be kind to oneself, avoid taking failures personally and keep the confidence level up. Embracing the idea of productive failure would mean drawing the lesson out of it and remembering it to avoid it in future Taste the fare before finalizing the major and minor.  SaiU prides itself in exposing students to a range of subjects  – Arts and Sciences, Technology, and Law – and gives them the flexibility to design their degrees. Hence, an open-minded approach will help in making the right choices. At the core of liberal education are choice and freedom. SaiUians have chosen this institution to avoid the trodden path of a predetermined course of study. The recommended way forward is to make the most of the first year, attend all the classes, and engage extensively with the content and faculty. It will help make considered decisions in the years that follow. Communication is the key to peaceful co-existence. Being paired with students whose lifestyles are different is not uncommon in a university hostel. It is an opportunity to move outside the comfort zone and make some life-long friendships. Communication, plain and respectful, will pave the way for great relationships. And laying down clear ground rules early on can help prevent conflicts to a great extent. Communication ensures transparency and trust, promotes loyalty, enhances engagement, improves productivity and teamwork, fuels innovation, resolves issues, and creates lasting relationships.   Sleep is the superpower. The newfound freedom can be exhilarating, and so is the temptation to chat the night away or binge-watch favorite shows. But 7-9 hours of sleep each night is imperative to function effectively. There is so much to do during the day – not just day-to-day classes but also the vibrant student life, filled with several activities. To be half asleep during the day means missing out on a lot of fun. A good night’s sleep makes for a happy and productive individual.  Good food choices are good investments.  Sensible eating can go for a toss in an environment where there is none to watch or advise constantly. Choosing healthy food and eating well on time is half the battle won in staying fit and cheerful. If it is not easy to make the right choices, students should consider speaking to the college health center team.  Time management is life management.  There is so much to learn inside and outside the classroom, and there is so much to enjoy. And there are also the many distractions that call out for attention. Hence students should learn to utilize time wisely without getting exhausted or feeling overwhelmed. Ironically, the university is also where you can learn how to manage time, make the right choices, stay organized, and avoid procrastination.  “Me” time is important for body, mind, and soul.   The demands of university life can be overwhelming, but it should never lead to burnout, meaning one should never feel overworked mentally and physically. Mental well-being is as important as physical health. When things become hectic, it is good to pause, perhaps take a step back by taking some ME time. It can be anything from indulging in hobbies, exercising, or catching up with old friends.  The transition from high school to university is a process that marks the transformation from adolescence to adulthood. It may be easier for some than others. But there are ways to prepare, get organized, and build a foundation for long-term success. It is all about learning from mistakes, getting guidance from the right people, balancing responsibilities, and setting priorities while making every step and every moment count.

Liberal arts education is a learning approach that teaches students how to think independently and develop broad academic and intellectual abilities. It rests on a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach. Through liberal arts education, students get choices across streams, discover their true calling, and broaden their horizons. It provides a platform to learn how to connect and integrate knowledge and apply the learnings in real-world scenarios. While the traditional education model in India has stressed memorizing and reproducing information, liberal arts encourage creativity, critical thinking, good communication, and a love for learning. India’s National Education Policy (NEP), which had a revamp in 2020, has laid out a path for universities to adopt a liberal arts, discussion-based, and discovery-based mode of education. As a result, the NEP 2020 encourages a multidisciplinary education system that helps develop the creative and analytical sides of the brain simultaneously.  Here are the top five reasons why India needs a liberal arts learning model: 1. Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach to learning One of the main pillars of liberal arts education is the interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach that integrates different areas of study and exposes students to multiple disciplines. In the liberal arts model, a Data Science student can study a course in Music, while a Law student can take up a course in Humanities. This approach at an undergraduate level enhances the ability of students to understand issues from different perspectives and thus get a holistic and expansive intellectual grounding. 2. Proficiency in active learning Liberal arts education comprises hybrid methods for teaching and learning, with creativity as the cornerstone. Team teaching with case studies and interactive classroom sessions is an integral part of liberal arts education. Active learning methods that allow one to take a lead in the classroom learning experience are employed, where students discuss, and evolve creative ways of dissecting the concepts, theories and methods.  Active learning creates a personalized environment for students. They get the space and time to process information and interact with fellow students and faculty. As a result, students also learn good interpersonal skills, oral and written communication skills, and the importance of teamwork. 3. Critical thinking capabilities Educational institutions that follow the liberal arts education approach put critical thinking and fact-based problem-solving at the core of learning. Students are taught problem-solving and critical thinking skills through international exposure and active learning methods. In this education system, students understand the core ideas of the subjects they are interested in, learn to examine and assimilate information methodically, and form informed opinions. 4. Preparing students to become real-world ready Institutions that opt for liberal arts help students get ready for solving real-world problems. This model equips students to be lifelong learners and adapt to changing global social, economic, and cultural realities. These skill sets attract future employers from top companies and firms. Moreover, due to the dynamic nature of liberal arts education, students also get well-prepared to tackle jobs that are yet to gain center stage. 5. Enhancing social responsibilities Liberal arts education transforms students into well-rounded, curious, and proactive problem solvers. It teaches how to navigate complex and unforeseen global challenges. Learning about the issues plaguing the world from thought leaders instills a sense of responsibility among students. Thus youngsters eventually become empathic leaders who actively participate in community engagement and bring about positive change in our society. Through broad-based learning and training to tackle problems through rational and critical thinking, liberal arts education prepares students to become intellectual leaders of tomorrow. They learn to evaluate problems from multiple perspectives and develop original stances. Liberal arts students not only learn how to solve problems but also ask which questions and problems to solve and why. It also helps deal with changes, complexities, and uncertainties in our ever-changing world.

Be it Bill Gates or you, everyone has 24 hours a day. It’s no secret that Bill Gates has an insane work schedule. So how does he manage the responsibilities and stay at the top of the game? He schedules his days meticulously and uses every minute productively. If Bill Gates can do it, so can you. The truth is that you have all the time you need to get things done, and all you have to do is take your time seriously and step up your time management game with the following tips. Time audit Once you learn where your time goes, it is easy to optimize your time for productivity, focus, and balance. You can accomplish more and enjoy more free time by using time wisely. A time audit is a systematic process to review how you spend time every day. Time audit helps manage time effectively and make informed decisions toward achieving every goal.   To-do list and prioritization The best way to begin time management is to create a list of tasks on a Word document, alongside the deadlines. Once the list is ready, the next step is to organize and group similar ones before prioritization. Is there a task you can do first and then strike that off with a few others? Doing that first is undoubtedly good time management and prioritization.    Checklist Having a checklist is a proven way to organize and manage tasks, avoid errors, maintain consistency, increase efficiency and productivity, and ensure the completion of the tasks at hand. Your checklist can also be a psychological tool to enjoy small doses of happiness every time you put that check in the box.    Breaking up tasks into doable pieces If you plan to read a 200-page book, make it doable by trying 50 or 25 pages every day. If writing a 20-page assignment in four days sounds overwhelming, how about writing five pages every day? Splitting big tasks into small doable pieces  – you can call it micro productivity – is a highly recommended one-step-a-time strategy. Breaking tasks down helps make them approachable, identify what steps you should take next, work with small yet specific goals, and get feedback to make course corrections.   Rewards There is nothing happier than getting rewarded for hard work. So, why not incentivize yourself for your time management skills. If you want to buy your favorite headphones, try to put some money in a jar every time you complete a task. You will soon work your way up to buy the headphones. Or, you can take a fifteen minutes break to catch up on your Instagram feed or listen to your favorite song. And remember to keep it brief. Online media are big time distractions.   A time limit for each task If you want to write an assignment of 3000 words, having a realistic time limit will help avoid distractions and procrastination, focus on the essentials, and drop the non-important, thus taking productivity to a new level.  However, while setting the time, be flexible but realistic. Some tasks may extend longer than you expect. You can put buffers between your task schedules so that each one of them does not eat into the time allocated for another one.   Realistic goals The stress and anxiety that unattainable goals create are counterproductive and can dishearten us from moving forward. Your mind may get bogged down by the pressure and achieve nothing.  Everything in life is attainable when you take small actionable steps in the right direction each day. A realistically achievable goal is one you can attain with your current skills, abilities, and mindset. The SMART approach is a popular way to set realistic goals. It meets the following requirements: Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Time-based Early riser   As the adage goes, the early bird catches the worm, though a worm sounds too gross an incentive for waking up early. But the best time to do time-consuming and complex tasks is early morning – when your body and mind are fresh after a good night’s sleep. Early risers can better deal with negativity and procrastination; enhance chances of success; become more persistent, cooperative, agreeable, conscientious, healthy, happy, and proactive; and look better, says a recently published entrepreneur.com article.    Distractions You love notifications on your smartphone because they make you feel needed. They are like a spike of dopamine – the feel-good yet addictive chemical. Here the smartphone is not the problem; it is how much you use it every day.  You don’t have to cut the gadget out completely to hit the books. There could be apps and digital resources that help you while studying. If you can sift through what’s on your phone, it is easy to set aside what is necessary for your education. One task at a time If you believe that multitasking will make you efficient, research proves otherwise. When you switch between tasks, it hampers productivity,  taxes the brain, and causes mental and emotional fatigue. Instead of the scattershot approach, a more focused way is to do one task at a time. It is a better way to become productive and efficient. If you believe that you can split attention between two tasks, the reality is you are paying less attention to both.   Rest Sleep and productivity go hand in hand. Adequate sleep improves your health, well-being, and productivity. But if you compromise on your sleep, it may affect your memory, decision making, alertness, and problem-solving skills, and eventually, your productivity dips drastically. Another equally important part of keeping the brain active is to take regular breaks. A thirty-minute break after rushing home and before you begin to study is a recommended way of recharging your body and brain. Drinking an adequate amount of water can also work wonders in stimulating your brain before switching to the focus phase.    Let us wrap it up! Time is a valuable possession and something you cannot get back once spent. Hence, time management is one of the essential life skills that can improve the overall quality of your life. If time flies, aren’t you the pilot who controls it? That said, all the days may not go according to plan. Life may throw curve balls at times  – something unexpected may come up, and your planning may go awry. Still, it is worthwhile to start with some time management plans.

The word ‘classroom’ draws different images for each of us. For those of us who have spent our childhoods going to school and college in a physical space, the words are usually ‘black board’, ‘ringing of the bell’, ‘canteens’ and so on. But for an increasing group of people, especially the youngsters of today, the word now draws up images of laptops, online tests, online PT classes and much more. The pandemic has brought over a sea change in all aspects of our lives. With daily lives and routines getting bungled during the lockdown, the internet has come to the rescue of many. And Education is no different. Students of today are now more receptive and in acceptance of how technology has opened their classrooms. Granted, the virtual world is not always rosy, but the online classroom scenario has made it possible for students to get access to education from all corners of the world, and to understand the range of their curriculum in a truly holistic manner. Lockdown fatigue is real. Staring at a computer with no other human interaction can be exhausting and even boring. Social interactions are minimal and physical movement is almost next to nothing. But tiding over the gloomy times, there are many ways in which online classes can be treated as something that are helpful, unique, and eye-opening. While online learning is not exactly a new concept, the lockdown has spun a new meaning to it – that of the importance of access to distinguished minds beyond boundaries. Here are top three takeaways from online learning in today’s world! 1. Broaden your horizons: Imagine being taught by a professor from Harvard while sitting in India. In an otherwise regular world, this scenario would have been a difficult proposition. However, the pandemic has forced the education sector to re-evaluate their modes of delivery. With geographical boundaries no longer an essential barrier, colleges can now look at providing students with a truly international experience. One class can be team-taught from a professor in Chennai along with a professor in San Francisco, thanks to technology. 2. Honing your tech skills: It is no joke to be able to seamlessly communicate and take information from a screen. With multiple distractions surrounding us, the power of technology can be leveraged to proactively interact and learn from the best minds across the world. Online learning invariably makes a student good at understanding and using technology to the best of its advantage. From handling Zoom lessons to using project management tools to enable peer-to-peer reviews, a student who is exposed to online learning will be equipped with sharp tech skills. 3. Unleash your creativity: Moving away from the four walls of a classroom, can sometimes be liberating. Online classes encourage creativity and critical thinking. Virtual interactions are not like the traditional ones. But by customizing your learning environment, you can be creative with the way you take in information. With unfettered access to your professor/s, you can engage with your curriculum in a productive and conducive fashion.Remember, if the pandemic has taught us anything, it is to make hay while the sun shines. So even as we google ways to reduce screen influence, let us also be happy that access to good education is now a button away.

The Global Challenges course sheds light on the problems ailing our planet and the consequences they have on people in different regions and on the human race as a whole. It made me think about a range of issues such as liberty, human rights, women’s rights, nuclear energy, cyber technology and taxation.  Seldom are these issues discussed beyond their applicability or relevance in the context of development. However, such issues require in depth study to ensure that they are employed to indeed create a just world. The talks by the subject experts in Global Challenges were the spark that kindled my thoughts and broadened my perspective. The course has been that important first step — the introduction to contentious issues – that has laid the foundation for the development of my own thoughts and opinions on several important issues, which is what will define me in the years to come.  A particular talk that stands out in memory was by Mr. Mitch Orenstein, the S. Richard Hirsch Associate Professor of European Studies at Johns Hopkins University, on the Ukraine – Russia relations. It was just a few days after this talk that Russia waged war on Ukraine. Naturally, we followed the war closely through the duration of the course. Over the semester we argued over the ideals of Putin and the responses of the West prior to and after the start of the war. Towards the end of the semester, we had a heated debate over India’s position in the war and were exposed to passionate arguments relating to the hypocrisy of the West, to the irrationality of Putin and his actions and to the future trajectory of territorial disputes. I can say with confidence that I have a far deeper understanding now of the war than I would have had, had I only followed it in the news. Another lecture that I now recall was by Mr. Juan Enriques, the author of Right/Wrong: How Technology Changes Ethics , on the effects of technology on the societal ethics. While we did cover the doubts and hopes related to technological advancements, we also pondered over the possibility of artificial intelligence launching a war against humanity. The discussions extended as far as to consider the possibilities of creating and incubating foetuses in the lab, thus relieving women of the pains of bearing and being delivered of babies. Global Challenges is no ordinary introduction to the issues of the world.  It is a look at the issues through different prisms. Both in the choice of issues and in their analysis, it transgresses disciplinary boundaries. It is foundational in that it gets us not merely to think about the several issues that plague us, but also to look at them from uncommon perspectives, thus training us to take critical look at the world around us.

Communication has always been one of the crucial life skills that aids people in all aspects of their lives, be it personal or professional. Communication plays a key role in sustaining collaborations and building a strong profile for the professional world. Building good communication skills should be a cornerstone for every education system as it not only prepares students for the future, but it also enables them to be confident and gain an edge in the world of work. Some of the fun and fruitful ways of developing communication skills are honing one’s debating, presentation, public speaking skills etc., that act as effective tools for youngsters to become future leaders. Apart from it being just fun, debating (which encompasses many aspects of public speaking) offers a lot of value for a youngster’s growth. At Sai University (SaiU), active learning is a critical component of our multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary education system that allows students to gradually develop their communication skills, critical thinking capabilities, research skills, among others. SaiU positions itself as a proud bearer of unique teaching methodologies that aim to instill the above-mentioned life skills and much more to students. Keeping SaiU’s unique education model as the foundation, War of Words, our very first international interschool debate competition , was created. The preliminary round of the event saw robust participation of 38 students from 13 schools in India and 3 schools in UAE. Students debated it out on all aspects of the theme and covered a variety of topics like climate change, public water utilities, indiscriminate tourism among others. As we relish the victory of War of Words, here are a few reasons as to why debating helps students in the long run: Boosts critical thinking skills Debates urge students to evaluate a subject matter and look at it from different perspectives. It also lets them evaluate a viewpoint that appeals more to them and develop a rationale to back it up. As a result, instead of passive intake of information, they engage with a topic and think about it in a constructive manner. Fosters strong communication skills Debates enhance the oral communication skills of students. Their language, vocabulary, delivery, and diction will improve, and they will also learn to put forth points in a succinct fashion. Debates encourage students to listen and articulate their thoughts effectively. Builds self-confidence Any public speaking activity will enrich a student with self-confidence. Presenting well thought-out views in front of an audience will imbibe confidence and self-respect. Debating encourages students to think for themselves which in turn makes them strong spokespersons of their well-informed opinions. Develops collaborative team skills Good debates inspire youngsters to work in teams seamlessly and collaborate effectively for optimum results. Despite having opposing views, they learn to treat opponents with respect and understanding thereby enabling a perfect exchange of ideas. Enhances knowledge base To be able to effectively argue a stance in a debate, it is imperative to research and gather evidence and data to support one’s opinion. Therefore, debates require a lot of reading and investigation, which allows students to access crucial information that will enrich their knowledge base and prepare for cross-questioning or rebuttal. Researching also teaches reading habits and encourages a student to keep themselves abreast of relevant happenings on that subject.

Ever wondered what it means to ‘think’? Is it the same as observation? If it is not, how does it differ from it? The course on Critical Thinking explains it all. From the very basic understanding of the difference, we moved onto the different kinds of syllogisms and arguments, the fallacies in those arguments that one might encounter, cognitive biases, statistical and probabilistic reasoning, and the idea behind knowledge.  We learnt how to think and not what to think. How different is that to what we normally learn in classrooms! The interactive classes were a lot of fun. I tried to incorporate the ideas that I learnt in class in my everyday life. Initially, it was just me pointing out the fallacies in others’ arguments, but over a period of time, I noticed a change in my way of thinking.  I have become an active’ thinker. I now do not consume information passively, without verifying the source and without checking the validity and soundness of every argument. And what’s more, I am now conscious of my own biases and judgements that are based on them.  The Critical Thinking course has helped me a great deal in making informed decisions. In this age of information overload, it is hard not to fall prey to misinformation. This course has led me to pause, to take a step back, and gather perspective before arriving at a decision.  The applications of critical thinking are not limited to the classroom. It is a course that equips one with the skills to handle challenging situations with equanimity.  Be it a discussion in class or an intercollege debate competition, be it choosing the right candidate to vote for in an election, or handling a tricky court case, critical thinking helps one in preparing to navigate the tricky landscape. With data science and analytics being the next big thing on the horizon, ‘critical thinking’ becomes a necessity, and not an option.

Ever wondered how streetlights turn on automatically at dusk or what drives a digital watch? Although we encounter ‘embedded systems’ very regularly in our daily lives, we are seldom cognizant of their presence. When something is “electronic”, “digital” or “smart”, embedded systems are behind it.  Embedded systems are computer systems – combinations of hardware components and software – dedicated for a specific function. Visually, they appear as chips or boards embedded with minute circuitry and electronic components and connected to peripheral devices (sensors and actuators – like cameras or motors).  And what are robots then? Robots are mechanical systems in which various embedded systems, sensors and actuators are controlled and coordinated in order to provide more complex capabilities and replace human involvement. Home appliances, wearable devices, security systems… all use embedded systems. Along with robotics, they can be applied to almost any field – healthcare, automobiles, gadgets, security, factories. Scope for innovation and new applications is limited only by one’s creativity and the laws of physics, of course. They are already ubiquitous and the applications are bound to increase exponentially in times to come. From a pedagogical perspective, learning ‘embedded systems’ equips one with first-principles knowledge of both computer hardware and software. One learns two things simultaneously: 1) How computer hardware works and 2) Programming it to do what is intended. Synthesis of hardware and software gives a complete picture and makes the learning practical. Robotics is a truly multidisciplinary field, integrating knowledge from all branches of engineering and yet also reaching beyond to biology, law, humanities, ethics and design. This makes both one’s education as well as career opportunities multidisciplinary. And of course, Robotics is fun! At SaiU, we began the course by learning the basics of C language. This included an introduction to computer programming and subsequently writing C codes for simple logical programs. And then we moved on to the hands on and practical eYantra MOOC when we were guided through the embedded systems and robotics online course by e-Yantra, an esteemed IIT Bombay initiative for Robotics. Finally, we put together all our knowledge of C programming, embedded systems and robotics to program the Firebird V to play Snakes and Ladders on a physical arena completely on its own!

History classes in school have always felt sterile and monotonous to me. I am not one who would voluntarily enrol into one. My primary interest is in the sciences and that is what I look forward to studying at SaiU.  Liberty, Power, and Right (LPR) was offered as an elective in the second semester of the first year. When I signed up for it little did I know that it was a lesson in history and the evolution of some of our beliefs. But this was no traditional history class. Rather than focus on the dates, places, and other bullet points required to pass an exam as was my experience with history classes in school, this elective focused on understanding the culture and politics of particular times in history. LPR viewed history and culture through the eyes of philosophers who lived during the time. Trying to understand the history and political beliefs behind a work while keeping in mind the social biases of the authors in question has been an interesting, even if challenging exercise.  We read Plato, Aristotle, and Machiavelli (among others). I came away with a deeper understanding of the political ideologies and societal norms that shaped the worldviews of these philosophers, as well as the worldviews that they helped shape through their works. Interestingly, many of the issues that they were concerned with, remain relevant to this day. Take for example, the discussion on whether a ruler or governing authority ought to be virtuous and moral or pragmatic and cunning. This age-old debate is still alive even though the world has changed dramatically since the times of Plato and Aristotle and Socrates. Examining Plato’s The Republic and Machiavelli’s The Prince from the perspective of the ideologies of the authors was edifying. It has made me conscious of the ways in which one’s ideologies come through in one’s work, even if no effort was made to reflect them. LPR has given me greater insight into the layers of decision-making involved in politics of the past, which has, in turn, awakened me to the layers in the politics of our time. It has exposed me to the complexities of current global issues and helped with at least one other foundation course – Global Challenges, which was a nuanced study of the ongoing conflicts around the world. Has LPR made me love history enough to change course? Not quite. My interest remains firmly fixed in the sciences. I doubt I’ll pursue a career in history or political science. However, I appreciate the opportunity I’ve had to study LPR. As an avid reader, from now on I’ll be viewing the historical and political works that I choose to read through a more critical, detail-oriented lens.

As significant economic changes sweep India, the need for environmental protection laws and regulations is felt more than ever in both the public and private sectors.  Unscientific infrastructure development, fast-paced urbanization, and the overutilization of natural resources have made people realize the need for ironclad rules and regulations to protect the environment. Increasing  environmental crimes and climate change, leading to biodiversity loss, water scarcity, soil degradation and air, water, and environmental pollution are some of the areas that call for strong legislation. Environmental regulations play a predominant role in most world economies. They serve as tools to regulate economic activities that leave hazardous impacts on the environment. They also minimize environmental risk and liability and promote sustainable environmental management practices. Environmental laws are the core of sustainable development because they integrate environmental protection and sustainability with the rules of the law to ensure balanced growth. Environmental regulations are predominantly specific rules and actions enforced by administrative agencies to control pollution and manage natural resources. These regulations protect the environment and internalize externalities, including direct and indirect interventions.  The conceptual boundaries of environmental regulations have extended significantly since the 1990s. In addition to the environmental regulations imposed by administrative agencies, voluntary regulations by firms and industry associations are becoming part of environmental regulations.  Due to the rising importance of these rules across several sectors, the need for experts in environmental regulations is on the rise, both in administrative agencies and private firms. Despite such demands, environmental regulations as a course are offered only by very few institutions across the world, and the same is applicable in the context of India.   The environmental regulations course offered by the School of Law at Sai University is one of the few such offerings. The course will equip law students with the understanding of the environmental regulatory regime in India by analyzing the various laws, policies, rules, notifications, and other instruments in the country — which focus on environmental protection and conservation of natural resources, including biodiversity. The students get a sneak peek of different theories and perspectives on environmental laws and regulations. They learn the rules of law that guarantee clean air, clean water, clean energy, and the conservation of endangered species of plants and animals. Through interdisciplinary and inclusive law education about environmental regulations, SaiU aims to foster global awareness and relentless passion for the environment and natural resources.