Cultural Exchange Programme – India Meets Malaysia

True education involves knowledge of many things; with some of the most important aspects being culture, language and food of other nations. Edmund Burke once said, “Education is not just a parcel of books but an intercourse with the world, with men and with affairs”.

To achieve this very end, a group comprising 10 students from St. Mark’s Girls Senior Secondary School, New Delhi, India and their two teachers, Ms Anjali HANDA and Ms Shruti SHARMA, embarked on a student exchange programme across Malaysia, visiting Sekolah Menengah Sains Selangor and Sekolah Menengah Sains Seri Puteri (Kuala Lumpur), Sekolah Menengah Sains Muzaffar Syah (Melaka), Sekolah Menengah Sains Sultan Ahmad Shah (Pahang) and Sekolah Menengah Sains Tengku Muhammad Faris Petra (Kelantan).

At different stages of the journey, the visiting students enjoyed interactive sessions with their Malaysian counterparts as part of the ASEF ClassNet Online Collaboration projects, “Kwartet: A Card Game for Four” and “Language-A Mantle of Communication-Level 2”. This international collaboration also gave the students a valuable opportunity not only to experience each other’s educational systems, but also to understand each other’s history and heritage.

During the visit, St. Mark’s Girls Senior Secondary School students were introduced to various aspects of the Malay culture and tradition through interactions with their Malaysian peers, which included presentations, dance and musical recitals, maths problems, and exploration activities. Most notably, St. Mark’s Girls Secondary School students got an opportunity to showcase their own talent in terms of art and dance before having the rare privilege of witnessing local Sundanese art and dance forms, and learning about Traditional Malay dance, Dakir Barat and lifestyle.

Students were also treated to guided city tours of Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Kuantan and Kelantan. They particularly enjoyed visiting Kuala Lumpur’s Petronas Towers, Aquaria, Petaling Street, KLCC, Melaka’s UNESCO World heritage site, Kuantan’s Batik factory and TC beach, and Kelantan’s Min House Camp, Chinese temple, Royal Custom Museum, Handicraft village and Craft Museum.

This fantastic range of experiences has led to students having a better understanding of the diversity in culture, and an appreciation of their own culture and nation. It has not only strengthened the relationship between the schools and the two countries, but also created a bond between the people of India and Malaysia.