Goan student Mrinal Shinde has been honoured with an outstanding merit award at Hochschule Bremen University,Germany
BHARATI PAWASKAR
The Hochschule Bremen University, Bremen, Germany organized a special programme in honour of a Goan student Mrinal Shinde who received the DAAD award for outstanding merits by an international student. DAAD is world’s largest funding organization for the international exchange of students and researchers. As Mrinal was felicitated in the presence of the Mayor of Bremen Germany, it was a proud moment for her parents in Goa, who could not attend the ceremony that took place on October 29 in Bremen Germany. However, commenting on their daughter’s success, Mrinal’s mother, a social entrepreneur from Margao said, “Mrinal has made us and Goa proud.”
“I am really happy today because I won this award. This award makes me feel more financially independent. I thank my Professor who thought of me as worthy for this award. And I thank DAAD and Hochschule Bremen for this opportunity,” said Mrinal. Explaining about this award she adds, “Each year the Hochschule Bremen awards a DAAD prize to one of its international students on behalf of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and to qualify for this award the students must have excellent grades and also be involved in voluntary or intercultural work within or outside the university.”
A graduate of Goa College of Engineering, Mrinal studied BE in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering here. She is currently studying MSc Electronics Engineering (Communication Systems Engineering) at Hochschule Bremen, Germany. Her major subjects are Digital Signal Processing, Wireless Communications, Satellite Communications and Microwave Engineering. Her course has a duration of two years. “I am now in my final semester writing my thesis at the company named Rohde Schwarz in Munich. My thesis is - Measurement uncertainity assessment for novel approach of Wireless Coexistence testing,” briefs Mrinal who, after her Masters, plans to work in Germany and continue studying for PhD.
“The work life balance in Germany is extremely good. My course here is more practical oriented as I study in the University of Applied Sciences,” she smiles. Officially been living in Germany for a-year-and-a-half Mrinal recalls, “On March 5, 2018, I slung my three suitcases in the dark night wondering how the morning could be. The morning was lovely and cold unlike India and looking out of my window I felt the positives that Germany could give me. I was quite keen to start my semester and do all the formalities, which was done so very conveniently and easily, the enthusiasm to study my topics made me feel confident. My family and peers were so supportive and I could make it till here.”
She remembers, “When I moved to Germany, I started to notice things that differ from the everyday life that I was used to. There are some customs that surprised me. One of them is having both Saturday and Sunday as holidays. The weekends were like a bonus for me and I love Germany for this. The work life balance is something one could dream of. Learning new German words and trying different food amazed me and I have been trying everything that is new for me. Loving German food and restaurants instigated me to start an Instagram page of Munich foodie (since I am now writing my Masters thesis in Munich).”
Mrinal was amazed with the systems here. “Other surprises are I was amazed to see was the healthcare, taken care of here, quality of life is wonderful here, quiet Sundays, security and safety is found here. There are many more but these are what I liked the most. I found Hochschule Bremen the perfect match for my course. I loved the part that most of the courses here are practical oriented. The course is very flexible too. I can go on and on now talking about this country which I have become extremely fond off,” she admits.
