Students Embrace Life in Mumbai for Six Weeks

Seventeen students from the University of Auckland joined the hustle-and-bustle life of Mumbai, India, recently, as part of Global Internships in Mumbai, a six-week Prime Minister’s Scholarship in Asia (PMSA) programme, funded by the New Zealand Government and administered by Manapou ki te Ao Education New Zealand.

From navigating the crowds in one of Asia’s most populous countries to working within various workplace settings alongside fellow UoA students, the lessons were life-changing.

“Essentially, I have transformed from someone who had never really travelled before and didn't possess a thorough understanding of what global citizenship even was, to somebody that is passionate about educating others on global citizenship and actively seeking out opportunities to enhance my own skillset and intercultural experiences,” said Talia MacKinnon, a student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Global Studies.

This year’s PMSA cohort followed in the footsteps of three previous cohorts in 2019, 2023, and 2024, all of which have been led and organised by the University's 360 International team. The 17 participants who represented the University of Auckland included: Sarah Bahoo, Hayley Brown, Brooke Firth, Gina Gao, Jumana Maash, MacKinnon, Lauryn Maxwell, Dylan Muggleston, Nicolas Powell, Devanshi Ranjan, Sangavi Shanthinathan, Anna Sluyter, Calem Stewart-Leaton, Karamvir Talwar, Caitlin Tavelia, Fang Tuigamala, and Adam Wearne.

The programme began with pre-departure and on-site orientations—last October and this January, respectively. In collaboration with the Global Career Center (GCC), who delivered the programme on-site in India, students were matched with employers based on their academic interests and skill sets. GCC organised cultural activities and accommodation, in which students often convened for breakfast and dinner to share insights and tips on their
new life in Mumbai.

Participating employers represented a range of industries, from medicine and non-profit organisations, to higher education and Bollywood film.

Student Calem Stewart-Leaton interned at GAURAV, an organisation dedicated to uplifting LGBTQ+ communities. While helping others, his experience prompted shifts in how he understood his own identity.

“Had you told me a few years ago a young Māori boy born and raised in
South Auckland would have the opportunity to intern at an organisation
advocating for marginalised communities in India, I would have laughed,”
he said. “Everything that defines my experience in Aotearoa—my skin
colour, my socioeconomic background—suddenly held a different weight. In
India, I was undeniably privileged.”

To his surprise, he also found that Indian culture reminded him of home. “My
greatest learnings in India revolved around the nation’s histories, knowledge systems, and the connections I found with Māori culture,” Stewart-Leaton added. “From whakairo and queer histories to the facial expressions used in Hindu traditional dances, I discovered echoes of home in every corner both big and small. Seeing how India’s many cultures have preserved their stories through their own puurakau, and witnessing how indigenous communities here face similar health and social challenges reinforced my sense of solidarity and connection throughout my stay.” 

During the weekends, students took full advantage of the opportunity to travel outside of Mumbai. Many hopped a flight to Jaiselmer, Delhi or Rishikesh, exploring the vibrant diversity of landscape and landmarks.

Nic Powell, a Bachelor of Laws student, travelled to the desert state of Rajasthan.

“Camel rides and sunsets over sand dunes made for a dreamlike, otherworldly experience,” he said. “The cobbled alleyways and vast sandstone walls of the iconic Jaisalmer Fort felt like a surreal return to biblical times.”

As part of the programme, GCC organised cultural activities, including a “Meet and Greet” event with students from the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) and an Indian dance and creative expression workshop. The Prime Minister’s Scholarship Programme aims to achieve national objectives, as set out by the government’s MFAT 2025 strategy—"to advance mutual trust and broaden cultural connections between India and New Zealand, among others.”

Students are expanding their networks across the region, and by extension, strengthening ties.

“The impact that the PMSA Mumbai programme has had on me is profound,” said Powell. “It has broadened my perspective of the world in a way that no other experience has, or likely ever will. International travel is the foremost experience in terms of its contribution to a young person’s development. One returns with an illuminating consciousness of their place in the  world, which simply cannot be achieved otherwise. It is the ability to  live as an authentic, working local which makes this especially true for this programme.” 

To read more about the PMSA Global Internships programme, visit students’ blog posts here.