Date:13/09/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/09/13/stories/2006091319520200.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

This B.Com. student is back from a U.S. stint

Special Correspondent

She participated in a `global leaders programme' in New York recently

Arundhuti Gupta

Bangalore: This 20-year-old second year B.Com. student of Mount Carmel College is back from a rather unusual stint overseas. Arundhuti Gupta participated in the week-long Goldman Sachs Global Leaders Programme held in New York recently.

Arundhuti, who was bubbling with the excitement of her experiences there, said that the programme conducted each year covered undergraduate students of 78 educational institutions in 20 countries. Among the five universities/ colleges recognised in this region are Mount Carmel in Bangalore and Loyola College, Chennai.

"There are stringent nomination and application procedures and the students are eventually selected on the basis of their leadership potential. I have been secretary of the Mount Carmel Commerce Association and was a prefect earlier in Clarence School and these helped," she says. The fact that she had high scores in the ICSE and PUC exams counted too.

There was an awards function in Delhi in April when each of the selected students received $ 3000 from Goldman Sachs. This was followed some weeks later with the stint in New York where they had to go through sessions at the Global Leadership Institute and visits to various participating corporates. The students stayed at the New York University.

"The project presentations I made related to how corporates and their funding could make a difference to the campaign against HIV/AIDS in countries such as India. We were exposed to American initiatives and cultural innovations. There was also a programme of gift exchange.. I presented a rosewood elephant to a boy from Germany and received a Spanish fan in exchange,'' she recalls.

There was also a memorable visit to Broadway to watch a musical. What she is still excited about is the visit to the United Nations, where they watched a documentary on Kofi Annan and discussed with U.N. officials and the Indian Ambassador to the UN, Nirupam Sen, the possibility of India becoming a permanent member of the Security Council and Shashi Tharoor heading the organisation.Back home now, Arundhuti is busy with projects she has prepared to suggest social responsibility programmes for corporates based here. At least some may work, she is confident.