Details

• India
• MAMgmt-14
• Graduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 3 months

1. Preparation

You should start medical preparation early. Several travel vaccines are recommended for India, and arranging these with a doctor at home makes the whole process much less stressful before departure. The visa application process in Vienna itself was straightforward and quick. Appointments were easy to get and the processing time was short. What made the process frustrating was the long wait for the necessary documents from IIMA. These arrived quite late and without clear communication about timing, which was particularly annoying if you were planning to travel before the semester started and needed certainty well in advance. Overall, the administrative preparation for IIMA felt challenging. Communication was often late, fragmented, and not very reassuring. Important information about courses, schedules, and academic expectations was only shared shortly before the start of the semester. Details about housing and everyday campus life also remained unclear until arrival. As a result, you need to be prepared for a high level of uncertainty and be comfortable staying flexible and figuring out many things once you are already on campus.

2. Accommodation

Student housing at IIMA is mandatory, and you only find out which dorm and room you are assigned to once you arrive on campus. The quality of accommodation varies a lot, even within the new campus. There are newer “rainbow” dorms, which are closer to a basic Western standard, and older dorms on the new campus, which are noticeably more worn down. I was assigned to one of the older dorms on the new campus. The room was not great. There were no proper windows, the air conditioning was loud, and there were occasional issues with cockroaches. At the same time, these older dorms tend to be much quieter than the rainbow dorms, which can be a real advantage if you value a calmer living environment. It is possible to push for a room change, and this sometimes works if you go in person and stay persistent, as emails are often ignored. However, an upgrade is not guaranteed, so it is important to manage expectations. Even if you end up staying in one of the older dorms, you will get through the three months, and once daily routines settle in, the accommodation becomes something you adapt to rather than the main focus of your exchange.

3. Academic life at host university

Life on campus is generally comfortable and well organized, especially compared to the surrounding parts of Ahmedabad. The infrastructure supports student life well, with a solid gym and a proper swimming pool that stand out as clear highlights and are easy to integrate into a daily routine. Having most facilities within the campus gates makes everyday life convenient and allows you to focus on studying and social life without needing to leave campus often. Academic life is dominated by teamwork and case discussions, which means your learning experience depends heavily on the people you are assigned to. In many groups, effort was uneven. Deadlines were often approached last minute, communication was inconsistent, and motivation dropped noticeably for some students once they had secured a job offer. Because assessment is almost entirely group based, this imbalance directly affects outcomes and can feel frustrating when you contribute steadily and take the work seriously. In addition, inclusion in group interactions was not always a given, as discussions often switched into Hindi even when exchange students were present and actively trying to participate. Group work with other exchange students was not always smooth either, since all the other partner universities, at least of the exchange students I studied with this semester, assessed on a pass or fail basis, while grades from IIMA were fully counted at WU. As a result, many exchange students placed little emphasis on the final grade, which created an imbalance in motivation within mixed groups. On top of that, the strict bell curve makes it extremely difficult to achieve an A, even with a high level of effort.

5. Every day life in the host country

Everyday life in Ahmedabad feels intense and very different from what most exchange students are used to. Public transport exists but is not very practical for daily use, so life largely happens on campus. For trips outside the gates, most students rely on Uber or rickshaws, which are affordable and easy to use, but navigating traffic and distances takes some getting used to. The campus itself feels safe and sheltered, and the contrast to the city outside is noticeable. Inside the gates, daily routines are predictable and comfortable. Outside, the city is loud, crowded, and chaotic, and air pollution is a serious issue. Especially at certain times, the air quality can be very poor, which affects how much time you want to spend outdoors and how you plan activities in the city. One major advantage of being in India is the range of travel opportunities. I travelled to Sri Lanka before the semester started, then spent time in Bangalore before arriving in Ahmedabad. From Ahmedabad, it was easy to explore many other parts of India during breaks and long weekends. The clear highlight of my exchange was a trip to Ladakh in the Himalayas, which stood out as the most memorable experience of the entire stay. Alcohol and larger parties on campus are rare, as Gujarat is a dry state, although they do still happen occasionally. Social life therefore tends to be quieter and more informal. I found a lot of joy in spending evenings playing card and board games with a small group of fellow exchange students, which became an important and relaxing part of everyday life. Sports and leisure options on campus are good, with access to the gym, swimming pool, and open spaces for running or team sports. Overall, everyday life is manageable and rewarding, but it requires openness, patience, and a willingness to adapt to a very different environment.

6. Testimonial

I sadly do not fully share the overly positive reports from previous years, as I believe they paint a somewhat misleading picture. I want to be honest and ensure future students understand what they are committing to, particularly on the academic side and with regard to grading. Despite this, the exchange was a valuable and eye opening experience that I do not regret, and I would still recommend it to students who are curious, resilient, and open to being challenged. At the same time, I would not be in a rush to return to India, as the country faces deep systemic and structural challenges, and there are several aspects of society, culture, and politics that I personally disagree with and find morally difficult to reconcile.