Mikhail Zheltov, a second-year master's student at the SPbGASU Faculty of Architecture, visited India as part of an internship program, where he studied local architectural traditions. He studied at Parula University in Vadodara, one of the country's leading educational institutions.

"I had previously visited China on a student exchange program, so I wanted to see another country with great potential. India, with its rich architectural history and cultural diversity, attracted me with its unique combination of ancient and modern trends. Parula University holds many interesting festivals, which makes the learning process exciting and rich. The program allowed me not only to deepen my knowledge in the field of architecture, but also to get acquainted with the unique cultural traditions that influence construction and urban development in India," said Mikhail.

Mikhail has traveled most of western India – from Delhi to Goa. He admits that this trip gave him the opportunity to meet many interesting people and improve his English. He saw both ancient and modern architecture of India, acquired new friends and partners.

“Earlier, I fell in love with the kindness of Chinese hospitality: I was treated very warmly in China. The head of the exchange program, Li Xiaodong, did a great job to ensure that everything went smoothly. I am very grateful to him for such an unforgettable trip. In India, unfortunately, I had to solve many issues on my own. However, I believe that the experience of international communication and intercultural relations that I received will be very useful for me in the future. The skills I acquired will help me better interact with people of different cultures and create more successful architectural projects,” Mikhail shared.

As the Head of the International Relations Division of our university, Shuainat Akhmadulaeva, clarified, Henan University of Urban Construction (China) and Parula University (India), where Mikhail Zheltov completed an internship as part of the academic mobility program, are partner universities of SPbGASU.