Here's Dr. Barot's first installment about his Fulbright experience in India.
"It has been almost one month since we have arrived here. It feels like a tropical island with all the green lush trees all around.
Most of the day, it is hot. People carry an umbrella for protection from the sun. The number of people who come out for the morning walk is just amazing. But the morning walk must be done before 7am, as there are just few roads and everyone is driving, including some students.
I am amazed by the economic progress. There is development on the campus; so much construction is going on. India has indeed progressed economically.
Now let me mention a few words about my teaching, including academic activities here. I have 11 students, 9 girls and 2 boys. I teach about 4 hours every week and attend 8 hours of seminar.
I teach synthetic organic chemistry and preparation is time consuming, as they use so many name reactions.
Seminars are extremely interesting, as I get chance to interact and listen to Noble Laureate lectures, under the erudite program. It is Scholar-in-residence program by Government of Kerala, organized by CUSAT (Cochin University of Science & Technology).
I talked to Prof. Martin Chalfie, Noble Prize in Chemistry 2008, Dept of Biological sciences, Columbia University, NY.
Another Noble Prize winner of 2003 who gave a seminar was Professor Anthony J. Leggett of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
There were other experts. Alexander Domeing from University of Pittsburgh and Dr. Rao from University of California in Santa Barbara.
In addition, they have student seminars. I am looking forward to next Thursday’s seminar.
You will be surprised that sometimes in the department meeting, they talk in local language and I don’t understand word of it. All students and faculty members are from the state of Kerala and all know the local language called Malayalam."
