NEW DELHI: British students are utilising India and China as learning grounds to gain insights into the impact of globalisation and the increasing role of emerging economies in a competitive global labour market.

Under a programme endorsed by the UK Prime Minister, Mr David Cameron at least 30 youngsters from Britain are interning at select multinational companies across India and lodging with locals to acquire basic knowledge of Indian culture and familiarising themselves with the school environment in the country.
 “I hope to spread a message of greater understanding for the vast cultural and economic challenges faced in developing countries and gain a greater understanding for myself how we can bridge the vast global gap between the luxuries brought about from globalisation, with the effects they have around the world,” Price Christopher had written in his application for the fellowship.
 Another fellow Laura O’Reilly who expresses interest in pursuing a journalism career says, “It is vital not only for individual understanding, but global recognition of the importance of effective businesses, as the world becomes more connected than ever before and more and more individuals set up their own businesses, so we can maintain prosperous stability and harmony.”
 Christopher and O’ Reilly, two of the 30 selected students chosen from schools in Britain to come to India, were assigned to do their internship with Dorling Kindersley (DK) India, the Indian unit of British publishing company Pearson India.
 The remaining students have been interning at other multinational companies and lodging with local families in Mumbai and Bangalore from the time they arrived in the country on July 17 for the programme funded by the British Council of India that stretches for six weeks.
 “Over the years there has been a paradigm shift in the way of working. Earlier we used to just do the pagemaking and layouts for our UK headquarters. But now we have been assigned a sizeable part of the creative work too right from design and conceptualisation. This has been possible due to globalisation,” Suchismita Banerjee, Managing Editor, Dorling Kindersley said.
 With workplaces going increasingly global, the fellowship programme attempts to give a chance to students to learn to work in a globalised organisation in emerging economy like India.
 “The students are learning about the economics works in the publishing industry. They get to see how communications are conducted through video conferencing. The layouts for our books are prepared in India, the books themselves are printed in China before being shipped to countries in the US and Europe to be marketed,” says Bannerjee.
Christopher, who starts university in September says it is a wonderful opportunity to learn about how global businesses work to improve standards of world trade and also to take precautions to avoid crises such as the recent financial crisis.
 “I think India is the place to be at the moment. Due to globalisation, there has been a major shift in the trade and more transnational companies are moving work to countries like India. It wouldn’t surprise me if the centre of these business move out to India,” he says. Both Christopher and O ‘Reilly have visited local schools, and various places of interest around Delhi.
 “I went to Agra, Jaipur, Punjab and a few other places and absolutely loved it,” says O’Reilly.
 On returning from their trips to India and China, the fellows would submit reports on their experiences and learning and raise awareness on the need to innovate and compete in a rapidly changing competitive global economy.