Nepali project is a pilot case for the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) South Asia, which aims to raise awareness and the capacity of universities and students to understand better global development challenges. I want to emphasize the term “learning”, because that has been the most significant outcome what I have got from the project.
It has been a moment since we returned from the field trip and I’m still on my way to normal routines. The field trip was full of new experiences and interesting human contacts. At this point it’s hard to understand all the things I have actually learned during the field trip. However, I’m sure that the journey changed something in each of us permanently, and it will affect definitely how we act and think in the future situations.
One thing I can already say I learned is new perspectives of human nature. People are basically the same, regardless the background and culture they come from. I learned this well while working with the local students of AITM. It was easy to start working with them and finding common understanding and like with most of the people, humor is a bridge towards friendship.
Communicating with the local people in Dhungentar also taught me how easy it is to express yourself with simple gestures, even if there is no common language. Smile and small hand signs already tell a lot and pretty often they were the only way to communicate with the local people if there wasn’t anyone to translate. However, I found many deep connections with local people, even though there wasn’t straight verbal communication between us.
Altogether the Sustainable Global Technologies (SGT) Studio course has given me many valuable things, such as team and project management skills, more self-confidence and design thinking. Also I have gained more understanding about the problems that developing countries are facing and learned how to be more creative in the situations where is no ready results available. The project has given me also more curiosity which makes me really happy, because it is the best way to keep learning and growing.
