So Long Sweet Summer

Summer is done with, and school has started again- probably not the most satisfying feeling. And I am back to blogging about all the really smart research happening in and around Duke.

Just as a memory refresher- I am Vansh Muttreja, an international sophomore at Duke and a Computer Engineering and Economics major. I have been writing for the Duke Research blog for a year now, and its been an awesome experience so far.

My time this summer was evenly divided between work, research, and everything else.
For the first month, I worked as a Residential Counselor for Duke TIP (Talent Identification Program) in India. The Duke TIP in India program is aimed at providing a unique learning environment designed to motivate and challenge academically talented Indian students within a supportive and nurturing campus setting.

Sixty-three of the smartest kids from 6 cities participated in the second year of TIP in India, and had the opportunity to live together for 4 weeks in one of the premier business schools in Asia- the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

They were taught a number of courses including Entrepreneurial Leadership, Engineering Problem Solving, Java for Video Games and Forensic Sciences. As a Residential Counselor, my primary responsibility was to supervise the students outside the classroom, organize social and recreational activities and as a whole serve as role models for them.

After Duke TIP, I did a small project for One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative, and helped in the initial drafting of the OLPC India model. OLPC aims to empower the children of third world countries by providing them with low-cost laptops that could serve as their primary tool of education and collaboration.

Finally, I did a one-month internship at an international strategy consulting firm, and carried out market research for several foreign clients who wanted to enter the Indian industry. My job was to conduct interviews, discussions and field trips to collect market data and consequently analyze the market demand for the relevant industry or product.

And the rest of time, if there was any, I was having a good time in the scorching heat of India.

What's Next- I will be covering developments in a variety of research areas, organizing interviews with research fellows, professors, or people who are just doing really cool stuff, and also would be posting about my own research projects and practices.