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A delegation of five students from the renowned Cambridge University, UK visited RICS School of Built Environment on 24 March 2015.
This was their first foundation trip which will pave the way for an annual visit every year. These students were mainly from real estate finance domain and were interested in meeting our MBA real estate (REUI) students.
A brief introduction of the delegates from Cambridge University, UK:
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Carel Kleynhans (Student President of Real Estate Finance Society, Cambridge)
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Christopher Worral (M.Phil Real Estate Finance)
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Thomas Anderson (M.Phil Real Estate Finance)
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Jordan Philip (M.Phil Real Estate Finance)
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Ramandeep Singh (M.Phil Real Estate Finance)
The delegates arrived in India on the 23 March, and visited the campus on 24 March. The interaction started with a formal introduction session by Dean Emeritus, Prof. KT Ravindran. After this, the delegates sat for a formal discussion on the topic 'An overview of real estate market in India' which was hosted by Prof. Anil Kashyap, Director, School of Real Estate and Prof. Ashish Gupta, Associate Professor, School of Real Estate.
The discussion lead to a charged up question-answer round which all the questions were actively answered by the faculty panel. Soon after this, the students from both institutes were given some time to interact amongst themselves. The delegates also met the Vice Chancellor of Amity University in the evening.
Here is an extract from the student interaction that happened during the visit.
What difference did you find in Indian real estate landscape?
Chris: I feel there is scope for a lot of improvement. On my way from the airport to the campus, we found that the public transport can be made better. Also, there is clutter and congestion in the buildings in general.
(Post being enlightened about the population growth in the capital and the fact that Delhi is doing well in comparison to other cities) Ok, I wasn’t aware of this scenario. I think India can learn from the other economies about managing this situation.
What all can India learn?
Jordan: India can learn in terms of planning, maintenance, urban regulation and develop an overall professionalism about this sector. Also, with RICS now actively participating in the learning sector in India, I hope this won’t be a problem for long.
How was your experience in interacting with RICS SBE students?
Jordan & Chris: I find these students have come from a diverse background. There are engineers, architects, planners, economics…we are largely from the finance background. But that doesn’t make them any less capable. In fact they are armed with technical knowledge too, so it’s interesting to see.
How was the faculty at RICS SBE?
Carel: We found the faculty and the interaction with them highly enriching. We were frankly not expecting this level of expertise in India. The knowledge and experience they have shared with us in one session is beyond compare. Right now, we were having a discussion on valuations and its varied applications in India. They touched upon valuations from different aspects, starting from a piece of land, to housing, offices, hotels and palaces.
What new things did you learn or which myths were busted, with the experience that you had here?
Carel & Jordan: We were not expecting Indian students to be so fluent in English (laughs).The proficiency they have over the language can put any one of us to shame. Also, they are inquisitive, curious and great learners. We are sure they will make a good career in this field.
What did you learn from them? (directed to RICS SBE students)
Nikhil & Archana: Initially, when the Cambridge students walked in, we got a little inhibited because they were dressed in formals. But once the interaction started we found out it was pretty easy to communicate. Also, they are much senior than us with years of working experience behind them. We have got a lot to learn from them. This was our first interaction and we are getting some good answers to our questions.