UAE students visit Varanasi, Patna for green lessons

Student teams from Masdar Institute of Science and Technology travelled to Varanasi and Patna for projects on gasification of rice husk for power generation, increasing access to primary education and health care, and community development through micro-credit and self-help groups.

As part of the Energy and Poverty Solutions (EAPS) course, a student team from the graduate-level university in Abu Dhabi addressed issues of child labour and primary education and investigated micro-credit and self-help groups for women empowerment with multiple organisations in Varanasi.

In Patna, two student teams worked with Husk Power Systems to improve their technical gassifier system as well as their business model. A third student team examined local healthcare services in order to understand the issues surrounding healthcare and delivery in Bihar.

"The field trips to India and other sites have offered students a glimpse into the lives of the poor