Sometimes I feel like 90% of our days are spent driving down the bumpy roads and stuck in the honking Kochi traffic. But in the next three years, that should change with the Kochi Metro. We spent our morning at the Kochi Metro engineering construction building learning about the plans for the upcoming 3-year construction project. After a successful Metro system was added to New Delhi, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has plans to add a Metro system to Kochi, Bangalore, Chennai and many other major India cities. In Kochi, the Metro will add 25 km of elevated rail system with 22 stops directly above major highways. It’s hard to imagine all the difficulties that they have faced in planning this Metro system. Making a plan in such a densely populated city and acquiring land more expensive than California is no simple feat, especially since the government does not practice immanent domain. However, the addition of the railway system will certainly modernize the traffic control of the top tourist destination in India.

 

We then proceeded to lunch at the Holiday Inn! The meal was delicious and the buffet catered to a more universal taste than the other Indian cuisines we are used to. One of the major differences about Kochi compared to Trivandrum is the prevalence of American fast food companies. We have passed multiple McDonalds, KFCs and Subways along the roads in our travels. Many US companies are expanding to India and there is a huge market to serve here. But there is room for many more. A Chick-Fil-A would be nice…

 

Our quick lunch came and went, and off we were to RSET, Rajagiri School of Engineering & Technology. We discussed a potential growth and expansion of study abroad opportunities and received a campus tour. We were impressed with the campus layout and facilities, but one of the most memorable things to me was their undergraduate electrical, mechanical and civil labs. Undergraduate students were working with motors and car engines, two things that mechanical engineers live for. I envision that this hands-on experience would be very valuable to send KU students in future years. Another thing that I found interesting about Rajagiri is that 50% of their students were female. Coming from the US where 20% of graduating engineers are female, it is amazing to see such a difference in their culture. However after interacting with the students, I also learned that of the 180 students in their mechanical engineering program, there were 0 females! Mechanical engineering is not though of as an “office job” which turns many female away from the major. As a female mechanical engineer, I wonder if I would have still studied mechanical engineering had I grown up in India.

 

All-in-all, another fabulous day in India has come and gone. Our exposure has been so valuable and we cannot wait for the opportunity to pass our experiences on to future engineers at KU. Today, my younger sister is moving into the dorm for her freshman year of college and it is these freshman that we hope to present new engineering opportunities in India!